It Actually Matters When You Do Your Laundry in New York

A recent post in a Hudson Valley Facebook group caught my attention. "Has anyone heard of the peak hours to NOT do laundry?", came the question from a Dutchess County resident. As it turns out, there's logic to the strange idea.

This week, my wife and I received a massive electricity bill in the mail. While we chalked it up to the five days we had to run a space heater to thaw a frozen pipe, the dollar amount still made us do a double-take. Luckily, there are a few ways to save money.

Peak Hours for Electricity Use in New York

Just like traffic on local roads or the long-forgotten days of landline telephones, electric companies consider certain times of the day "peak hours"... and bill accordingly. With increased demand comes increased rates.

Does It Matter When You Do Your Laundry?

According to Central Hudson, weekdays between 2pm and 7pm are considered peak hours, and electricity used during this time costs more than off-peak use. That's where laundry comes in.

Central Hudson's Time-of-Use Billing

Central Hudson offers a program called "Time-of-Use Billing", which charges customers different amounts depending on what time of day electricity is used. From Central Hudson:

By managing the use of major appliances (e.g. washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, etc.) from peak to off-peak hours, along with setting your electric heat (if applicable) on a low setting during peak hours, savings can add up

Appliances like laundry machines and dryers can be deceptively energy-hungry, and while a substantial amount of electricity will need to be used during off-peak hours for residents to break even with the program, timing your laundry can be helpful. Check out more energy-eaters below.