Off-peak power 2025: will 11 million households slash bills by €120 if you wash at 2am or 1pm?

Timetables are shifting, prices are wobbling, and the humble washing machine suddenly matters more to your monthly energy budget than before.

From 1 November 2025, France reshapes off‑peak windows for millions on the HPHC option. Night-time remains cheaper, but many contracts now add a mid‑day slot between 11:00 and 17:00. That change nudges everyday routines, and it turns the “start” button on your washer into a small but steady money lever.

What changes on 1 November 2025

Until now, off‑peak usually meant late evening to early morning. The 2025 reform shifts the edges. Morning 07:00–11:00 and early evening 17:00–23:00 become peak for many contracts. At least five hours still sit overnight, and an extra window appears in the day, typically somewhere between 11:00 and 17:00.

About 3.5 million customers keep their old pattern. Everyone else receives a notice at least a month ahead. Where supported, smart appliances pick up the new schedule via the Linky meter. You can verify the exact hours on your bill, in your online account, or on the Linky display at home.

Two cheaper blocks, one goal: move energy‑hungry chores into the night and the new mid‑day slot to turn the tariff gap into savings.

The price gap and what it means for your washer

Numbers do the talking. A typical HPHC offer in August 2025 showed around €0.1635/kWh off‑peak versus €0.2081/kWh peak. Other grids pointed to roughly €0.2068/kWh off‑peak and €0.27/kWh peak. Actual prices vary by supplier and power rating, but the logic holds: shift consumption when the meter is cheapest.

A modern washing machine uses between 0.5 kWh and 1.2 kWh per cycle depending on temperature, duration and load. Here is what that looks like at the first tariff pair above:

On pricier peak/off‑peak spreads, the saving rises to roughly €0.06–€0.08 per heavy wash. On its own, laundry won’t transform a bill. But add dishwashing and water heating and the yearly impact grows fast.

Aim for at least 30–35% of your usage in off‑peak. Below that threshold, HPHC often fails to beat a flat tariff.

When to run your washing machine

Winter: use the start of the night window

Target the moment your contract flips to off‑peak late at night. For many homes this sits just after 23:00. If noise carries in your building, set the delayed start for the middle of the night, around 02:00, when fewer neighbours notice the spin cycle.

Skip the early evening. The window from 20:00 to 23:00 that once looked cheap now counts as peak for lots of contracts, so those post‑dinner washes cost more.

Summer: land your cycle in the mid‑day slot

If your plan includes off‑peak hours between 11:00 and 17:00, place laundry squarely inside that block. Load the drum, choose the programme, then use the delay to ensure the entire cycle starts and finishes while the meter charges the lower rate.

Many households used to have off‑peak spread across 20:00–08:00. If that sounds like your routine, recheck the new timings before you rely on old habits.

Set the delay so every minute of the wash sits within off‑peak. A few minutes creeping into peak can erase the gain.

Make HPHC pay: hit the 30–35% target

The option works when you concentrate enough consumption in cheap slots. Think beyond laundry. Combine the dishwasher, water heater and, if you use one, the tumble dryer. Stagger big draws so you stay within your contracted power and avoid tripping the supply.

• Wash at 30–40 °C where fabrics allow; 30 °C can use around three times less energy than a 90 °C boil.
• Fill the drum; a half‑load doubles spin cycles over the week.
• Pick the eco programme; it runs longer but usually trims kWh.
• Clean the filter and run a maintenance cycle monthly to keep efficiency.
• Automate with a smart plug or appliance scheduler, and align other chores with your off‑peak blocks without exceeding your subscribed power.

Why the grid moves your cheap hours

France adds mid‑day off‑peak because solar output rises around noon, while morning and early evening now strain the network. By nudging households towards late night and mid‑day, the system smooths peaks and limits costly generation. The tariff gives you a share of that benefit if you time your usage.

How to check your slots without guesswork

Do not assume your neighbour’s timetable matches yours. Contracts vary by commune and meter configuration.

• Open last month’s bill and look for the HPHC schedule printed near the meter data.
• Log into your supplier account and read the stated off‑peak windows.
• Press the Linky button to cycle through displays; one screen shows HCH (heures creuses) times.
• If you still doubt, call customer service and ask for the current hours tied to your delivery point.

A realistic saving for your home

Let’s run a quick scenario. You do 200 washes a year at 40 °C (around 0.7 kWh). Using the €0.1635/€0.2081 pair, you save €0.031 per cycle off‑peak. That’s roughly €6 a year for laundry alone. Push the temperature up and the saving per cycle grows, but the total still stays modest.

Now add a daily dishwasher cycle at 1–1.2 kWh and a 2 kWh water‑heater top‑up scheduled overnight. Hit off‑peak for both and you can unlock €80–€140 a year depending on your tariff spread and habits. That is where the meaningful cut lies: combining several predictable chores inside cheap windows.

Noise, safety and power limits

Night washes can annoy thin‑walled flats. Use anti‑vibration feet, enable quiet mode if available, and avoid spinning when neighbours sleep if your building carries noise. If you worry about running appliances unattended, schedule for the mid‑day slot instead, check hoses for leaks, and keep the machine clear of lint and obstructions.

Watch your subscribed power. A washer, dryer and water heater starting together can trip the supply. Stagger starts by 10–20 minutes with smart plugs or the appliances’ own delay features so loads do not overlap.

A sample daily plan you can copy

Assume your contract shows 23:00–07:00 and 13:00–15:00 off‑peak:

• 13:05 start dishwasher eco (1.0–1.2 kWh) to catch the mid‑day block.
• 14:10 run a 30–40 °C laundry load while the dishwasher finishes.
• 23:10 heat water (2 kWh) with a timed immersion or a controlled water heater.
• 02:00 tumble‑dry if needed, or air‑dry to cut kWh entirely.

Want to go further? Two quick upgrades that pay back fast

Try a plug‑in energy monitor. Measure your machine’s kWh on each programme. Once you see real numbers, you can pick cycles that clean well for less. Next, enable “end time” scheduling where available. Many modern washers let you choose when the cycle should finish; the machine back‑calculates the start so it lands inside off‑peak without guesswork.

If you plan a replacement, check the energy label and annual kWh for your typical temperature. A model that trims 0.25 kWh per wash saves similar money to a tariff shift, and the effect compounds over years. Pair that with precise timing across laundry, dishes and hot water, and you move closer to triple‑digit annual savings while the grid change works in your favour.