The Savvy Life

By Melissa Tosetti

 

One of my favorite lessons that I learned from Flylady.net is the habit of doing just one load of laundry a day - replacing the marathon laundry habit that previously took up our weekends.

 

Another trick she teaches is to run the washing machine in the evening and then put your clothes in the dryer the next morning.  If you can pop them in the dryer prior to jumping in the shower, depending on your morning routine, the clothes might just be done before you're ready to leave for work. If you can find just five minutes in the morning to put them away before heading out the door, how great will that feel?  Knocking out a crucial housekeeping task before clocking in at work.

 

Most utility companies will give you a discount for using appliances before or after peak hours. By running your washing machine after 8:00 pm and then putting your clothes in the dryer the next morning, you can shave quite a bit off of your utility bill.

Just how much?  This blurb from Portland General Electric's website answers the question:

 

A typical family of three uses about 80 kWh per month for electric clothes drying. Under PGE’s Time of Use option,on-peak usage for this period would equal $10.61. Mid-peak usage would equal $6.00, and off-peak would result in a cost of $3.54.

 

By simply drying your clothes at off-peak times, you can save $7.07 per month.  That's just for your dryer.  It doesn't include your washing machine which will likely save you an additional $7.07 per month.  Take it a step further and also run your dishwasher during off peak hours saving another $7.07 per month.  That's $21.21 per month saved and potentially $254.52 per year. 

 

I imagine you can think of far more fun things to spend $254.52 on than your utility bill.