Laundry day can be a bit of a drag, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot. One way to save money on your electric bill is by doing your laundry at a certain time of day. However, this only works if you’re on a time-of-use (TOU) energy plan. TOU plans are pretty straightforward. They are rooted in the fact that energy rates change throughout the day based on demand. Electricity prices will increase during “peak hours,” while you’ll see lower electricity costs during off-peak hours when demand is lower. 

The specific peak hours will vary depending where you live and on your provider. For example, California generally considers peak hours to be 4 p.m. and 9 p.m, which is the time that people get off work and start cooking, doing dishes, cleaning, watching television, and doing laundry. Meanwhile, Alabama Power considers peak hours to be between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m between June 1 and September 30. Between November 1 and March 31, however, peak hours are between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. There are no peak hours at all in the months of October, April, and May.

Energy company Con Edison charges a steady lower rate any time of day in October through May, but considers June through September to be peak energy use months. It advises to avoid using larger appliances — like washing machines and dryers — between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. during the work week in these months. It’s also recommended to avoid charging your electric vehicle during these peak hours to save on costs.

Doing your laundry takes the same amount of energy no matter what time of day you fill the washer, but you can still save on your electricity bill by starting the laundry at certain times with a TOU energy plan. If you want to find out when your rates are the cheapest, check for pricing in your plan’s Electricity Facts Label (EFL).

If you are looking for other ways to save on laundry, try replacing your washer and dryer with an ENERGY STAR-certified model to use less energy. With any washer, you can also switch to cold water and turn on the high spin to save on energy. That’s because nearly 90% of the energy your washing machine uses goes towards heating up the water. Finally, try making your laundry loads larger to avoid doing multiple loads a day and consider air drying your clothes to avoid using the dryer.