Example: automatically starting the washing machine in cheap hours

Turning your washing machine into a dynamic energy customer

With Leafy Energy and Home Assistant you can start your washing machine when electricity is cheapest. A routine household chore becomes a subtle energy optimisation.

What you need

• A washing machine controlled by a smart plug or a direct integration.
• The Leafy Energy integration providing current price sensors.
• A Home Assistant automation.

Logic of the automation

1. You load and prepare the washing machine, leaving it “on”.
2. The smart plug is turned off until a cheap hour begins.
3. When sensor.leafyenergy_price_now drops below your threshold, the smart plug turns on.

Leafy Energy reports then show exactly how much you saved by shifting the cycle to a cheaper period of the day.