The public has been advised over recent weeks to choose off-peak hours to run their machines at home as the cost of living continues to soar in Ireland.
It has been suggested that homeowners could save money by not running their dishwashers and washing machines at certain times of the day.
Mandatory time-of-day pricing for electricity is being considered by the government, which could see people switch on their appliances later in the evening to save money when power would be cheaper.
However, one woman spoke with RTE Liveline's Katie Hannon to warn people against this "flabbergasting" advice to curb energy costs.
Anne issued a cautionary tale because an “awful lot of people feel they need to use their electricity at the off-peak times and they’re putting off using their appliances like the washing machine and the dishwasher until night time.”
“I don’t know why the government is recommending people to put their appliances on at night because it’s a cheaper rate. It’s not very cheap if the house goes up," she said.
“Be very careful.”
She went on to describe what happened in her home as she ran her brand new washing machine for the first time.
“When I heard that they were recommending using appliances late at night I was flabbergasted because the first time - I had a new washing machine - I put on a wash and was sitting in the other room looking into the kitchen and next thing I could smell burning," Anne said.
“Luckily there was a glass door and I just happened to look through the glass and thick black smoke was billowing out of my machine, and it was the first time I used it.
“So I said to myself, never again. My clothes were all ruined.
“Eventually I got the door open and switched off the machine, but I would never recommend using it at night.
“I would never even go out and leave it on during the day I’d wait until I’m here and I can watch.”
Back in October 2021, the Dublin Fire Brigade was called to a home in the city after a washing machine had burst into flames.
At the time, they advised the public that: "You should not use washing machines, dryers or dishwashers after you go to bed, or while you are out. Clean their filters regularly.
"Check on the manufacturer's website if your appliance is subject to a recall or safety upgrade."
READ MORE: Expert explains how to cut energy costs by more than 20% as evenings get brighter
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