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Whether we like it or not, for many of us, washing clothes is something that needs to be done over the weekend.
And while we might plan to keep an organised, empty washing basket, weeknight plans, the shift back to office work, and those ever-increasing to-do lists can take priority over a Wednesday load of whites.
Now though, there’s a good reason for waiting until Saturday to get a handle on your laundry pile — and it’s all to do with the sunshine.
Starting from today, April 14, the National Energy System Operator has introduced a new scheme which could allow Brits to run their washing machines for free when there’s an excess supply of energy.
Participating electricity suppliers are expected to provide incentives like energy without charge when there’s too much to go around, building on previous deals like cheap rates for off-peak usage.
At the moment, NESO reckons this will likely be when it’s warm outside, because this is when things like solar panels are likely to generate more electricity than there’s demand for. The same is true of bank holidays.
Households with smart meters — which show live energy consumption to allow for easier budgeting — will be eligible for the scheme, the timings of which will be shared with suppliers by NESO.
The operator will then pay providers if they’re able to ramp up or reduce demand for that period, and they’ll decide how to pass this money on to customers.
So far, the likes of British Gas, Equiwatt and Octopus Energy are all reported to have signed up.
Would you take advantage of free electricity for weekend laundry?
NESO says of the new system, called the Demand Flexibility Service: ‘For the first time ever this summer, homes and businesses will be able to increase their electricity use during periods of excess supply, supporting both system resilience and efficiency.
‘That means getting rewarded for running appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers during periods of excess supply if you’re signed up with your energy supplier or third-party apps.’
Dr Deborah Petterson, director of resilience and emergency management, described the new system as being ‘well adapted to support a clean future.’
She said: ‘It puts us in a strong position to manage the changing patterns of electricity use over the summer.
‘Tools such as the Demand Flexibility Service not only reward consumers and businesses for flexible electricity use but also strengthen the resilience and efficiency of Great Britain’s electricity network.’
Your washing machine is lying to you about how long a cycle is
Analysing the length of laundry cycles across six different washing machines to understand how long they actually run for, one 2025 study found that the average washing machine cycle runs over by 11 minutes, which would explain why we sometimes feel lied to.
One particularly unruly load (each machine was run three times on the same setting) went over by a lengthy 23 minutes. Inconvenient, much?
So, what’s behind it, and why are we left cursing at an inanimate object every time the cycle betrays us?
As Ian Palmer-Smith, appliance repair expert at Domestic & General, previously explained, the most common reason behind this annoyance is actually down to how much detergent you add.
And if you overdo it, your machine will likely be playing catch-up.
‘If you add too much into the appliance, it will often require additional time to spin and drain away any excess water and detergent residue,’ Ian explains.
‘Adding excessive amounts of laundry detergent not just increases the cycle time, but can also lead to a clogged machine which may result in the need for a washing machine repair, so make sure you’re sticking to the advised amount if using a liquid.’
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