Pool pumps, dryers, and other shiftable appliances
Many of your biggest electricity loads don't care exactly when they run. Moving them to cheaper times is one of the simplest ways to cut your bill.
What makes a load 'flexible'?
A flexible load is any appliance or system where the timing doesn’t matter to you — only the outcome does. You care that the pool is clean, the clothes are dry, and the dishes are done. You don’t care whether the pump ran at 10am or 6pm.
This is different from non-flexible loads like lighting (you need it when it’s dark), cooking (you need it at mealtimes), and entertainment (you watch TV when you watch TV). You can’t realistically shift those, and you don’t need to — the savings come from the big, time-insensitive loads.
The concept of load shifting
Load shifting means moving electricity use from expensive periods to cheap ones. The savings come from the price gap between different times of day:
- On a time-of-use tariff: Running a 2.4 kW dryer for 2 hours during off-peak (15c/kWh) instead of peak (45c/kWh) saves about $1.44 per load. Do that three times a week and you save $225 per year on the dryer alone.
- With solar panels: Running loads during solar production hours means you’re using free electricity instead of exporting it at 3–5c/kWh. Every kWh you self-consume is worth roughly 25–30c more than exporting it.
Your biggest shiftable loads
Pool pump
1–1.5 kW × 6–8 hrsA pool pump is one of the largest continuous loads in a pool-owning household, running 6–8 hours per day. That’s 6–12 kWh daily.
Strategy: Set the timer to run from 9am to 4pm. If you have solar, the pump runs almost entirely on free electricity. If you don’t have solar, midday is still typically shoulder rate on TOU, cheaper than the evening peak. Many pool owners save $400–$800 per year by shifting their pump schedule.
Clothes dryer
2–4 kW × 1.5–2 hrsA clothes dryer is one of the hungriest appliances in the home, consuming 3–8 kWh per cycle. Heat-pump dryers use about half that, but are still significant.
Strategy: Run it during solar hours if you have panels, or use the delay timer to run overnight on off-peak rates. Avoid running during TOU peak windows (typically 3–9pm). Even better: use a clothesline on sunny days and save 100% of the electricity.
Dishwasher
1.5–2 kW × 1–2 hrsMost dishwashers use 1.5–2 kWh per cycle, with most of the energy going to heating water internally. A typical household runs it once a day.
Strategy: Load it after dinner and use the delay-start timer to run it at lunchtime the next day (solar) or after 10pm (off-peak). Most modern dishwashers have a delay timer built in.
Underfloor heating
1–3 kW × 4–8 hrsElectric underfloor heating has significant thermal mass — the concrete slab stores heat for hours. This makes it an excellent candidate for load shifting.
Strategy: Pre-heat the slab during off-peak hours (overnight) or during solar production hours. The stored heat radiates through the morning and evening, reducing or eliminating the need to run during peak times.
Washing machine
0.3–0.5 kW × 1 hrA washing machine on a cold cycle uses surprisingly little electricity — only 0.3–0.5 kWh. On a warm or hot cycle, it can use 1.5–2 kWh (the heating element is the culprit).
Strategy: Wash on cold when possible (most modern detergents are designed for it). If you need warm water, run during solar hours. The energy savings on the wash itself are modest, but it’s the dryer that follows where the real money is.
How timers and smart plugs help
The challenge with load shifting is remembering to do it consistently. Timers and smart plugs remove the effort:
- Built-in delay timers — Most dishwashers and some washing machines have a delay-start function. Set it once and forget it. No extra hardware needed.
- Mechanical timers — A $15–$30 plug-in timer from a hardware store can schedule any appliance. Perfect for pool pumps, hot water boosters, and underfloor heating. Simple, reliable, no internet needed.
- Smart plugs ($20–$50 each) — WiFi-connected plugs that you control from your phone or automate with schedules and rules. Many can be set to turn on only when solar production exceeds a threshold (using your inverter’s monitoring app data). Brands like TP-Link Tapo, Shelly, and Arlec Grid Connect are popular in Australia.
- Smart switches ($50–$150 installed) — Hardwired switches that replace your existing wall switch. Ideal for dedicated circuits like pool pumps or hot water. Can be automated on schedules or integrated with a home energy management system.
Start with the big loads
How much can load shifting save?
The total savings depend on your tariff structure, solar system, and how many flexible loads you have. As a rough guide for a household with solar and a TOU tariff:
| Load shifted | Annual saving* |
|---|---|
| Pool pump to solar hours | $400–$800 |
| Hot water to solar hours | $350–$700 |
| Clothes dryer to solar/off-peak | $100–$225 |
| Dishwasher to solar/off-peak | $50–$100 |
| Total potential | $900–$1,825 |
* Estimates based on typical appliance consumption, a TOU tariff with 30c peak and 15c off-peak, and solar self-consumption value of ~30c/kWh. Your actual savings will vary.
Next step
If you want to automate load shifting without thinking about it, smart home technology can coordinate everything for you.
Next: Smart Home Automation →Continue in Solar, Battery & EV