Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has advised the public of a certain period of the day that we shouldn't be operating our washing machines.
Speaking during a segment on ITV daytime show This Morning, the financial guru discussed the best times to use appliances if you want to keep your energy bills as low as possible.
During the segment, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby asked Martin about the looming electrical blackouts Brits are concerned about this winter. The duo said that one caller had a question about switching to an economy-7 meter in a bid to save energy and to try and help the National Grid with electricity surges.
Read more: Martin Lewis' boiler tip that can 'knock £100 off your energy bill'
In response, he warned: "We are looking at energy difficulties this winter. We hope there will not be any blackouts." He added that the peak time for energy usage is between 4pm and 7pm and said that we all need to work together to ensure that black outs don't happen.
Martin urged households not to use high energy appliances such as washing machines between those hours. As for having an Economy-7 meter installed, Martin advised that this would only be useful for certain customers.
He continued: "The rough rule of thumb is that you want storage heaters and 40% or more of your electric to be in overnight period to be worth while. If your house isn't set up to do that don't bother."
Economy 7 meters, which have to be specially installed, track day and night use of electricity separately, so that a different kWh rate can be offered via an Economy 7 tariff. They allow you to get cheaper electricity for a set amount of hours each night meaning it could work for you if you tend to use more energy during the specified Economy 7 times.
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