As the cost of living crisis grips the UK, households across Scotland are looking for ways to keep the cost of their energy bills down - and although you need to wash your clothes, there is a way to use your washing machine that can have a huge impact on your energy bills.
According to energy experts, simply choosing to do your laundry at a different time of day could shrink your energy bill and according to some estimates you could save a packet.
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The most expensive time to run your washing machine is between 4pm and 7pm, so if that's you then you could be paying three times as much as you should for washing your clothes.
The cost of electricity fluctuates throughout the day so anything that isn't on all the time can be a big drain if used at the wrong moment.
A washing machine uses around 1kWh of energy for an hour-long wash, which costs around 28p. If you were to wash one load a week, that would be £14.56 a year, or £29.12 for two washes, and three would cost £43.56.
Some energy providers charge more for power during busy periods, such as between 4 and 7pm.
Some firms charge as little as 9.76 for off-peak power, about a third of the prime-time 28p.
