Washing machine usage

[SheSaidHummingbird]

With the rising cost of energy, I'm sure we are all looking for ways to reduce energy usage. Specifically, I wanted to ask you all how frequently (or, perhaps, infrequently) are you now using your washing machine?

Since lockdown not nearly as much as previously.

Wearing clothing more before washing and leaving bedclothes 2 weeks instead of weekly, same with towels.

This reduces water usage & electric along with woman power

I have about 7 loads a week. Two adults and two kids in this house. I’ve started using lower temperatures but still use 60 degrees for towels and bedding.

4 times a week..2 adults

Ours is used quite a lot due to going to the gym 5 days a week (dh and i) and ds doing rugby training 4 days a week. The there's dhs work shirts and ds's school wear to be washed. Dd doesn't create as much washing as the rest of us

1-2 loads a day averaged out across the week. 5 in household. Dropped towels and bedding temps from 60 down to 40-obviously will put on at 60 if someone ill but I think otherwise 40 should be sufficient.

I normally use the 59 min prog, I did try using the eco setting but it kept increasing the time-so it started off saying 2.37hrs, but I went out, came back and it still had 2+ hrs left, meaning in total it was on for around 5hrs- cant see that being money saving at at!!

I don’t care if people think it’s minging, we do our sheets once a month unless there’s some sort of viable dirt/spillage etc or unless someone’s been particularly sweaty overnight.

I tried washing lower at 30 but I didn’t like the results much so carry on washing general clothes at 40. Only thing that gets washed at 60 now is dp work clothes as they stink of wood and treatment.

To be honest, I don't think washing machines cost that much to run, in that they're not going to be a significant part of anyone's bills unless they have them on multiple times a day.

You might be able to save a few quid a month if you significantly reduce the use frequency and be more efficient, ie full loads on the eco programmes instead of lots of quick washes which counterintuitively use more energy (more agitation and more frequent loads, especially as you often can't put so much in) but if your bills are high, there's other things you probably need to look at first.

The biggies for electricity are anything that produces heat, so if you heat your water or home with electricity, electric showers - a family of 4 with daily showers is going to be a few tens of pounds a month alone and then if relevant, if you have gaming PCs that are left on a lot, they can be surprisingly expensive to run. Also if you have lots of halogen lights that are on a long time.

All of those would probably significantly outweigh the cost of even the most enthusiastic washing machine user.

2-3 loads a week. Dark load every week. Lights, whites, towels and bedding done every 2-3 weeks when there’s enough to make a decent sized load. I’m trying to balance the loads more so trying to encourage DH and DC to opt for light coloured clothes particularly for PJ and towels (won’t get as stained as everyday wear).

It saves time too. Pegging out the clothes takes 20 mins and it means I have to be around in the morning so can’t schedule anything else.

I’d say 4-5 times a week, 2 adults and a toddler. We have a big machine and I fill it up, and run it on an eco cycle overnight (we have cheap electricity then due to electric car charging).

Eco cycles last longer but use less water or a lower temperature or something so they do save money and electricity even if it seems like they don’t! There’s a fair amount of the clothes just sitting in water soaking which doesn’t cost anything.

I do one, and sometimes two loads a day.

All kids do sports activities, swimming etc

I do most on 40 degrees and have found the shorter cycle just as good

at least one load a day, sometime 2 or more. % of us here full time, plus adult daughter sometimes and student daughter when not at uni. Teenage ds does rugby 3 times a week, plus a lot of fitness stuff. " teenage daughters who seem to generate loads too. Wish I could cut it down. The washing machine is one of our bigest electricity uses currently (after the cooker)

Same as before. I cannot cut down on what i use it.