Why You Shouldn’t Use Your Washing Machine During Today’s Eclipse

The UK’s leading energy supplier is encouraging the public to ‘power down’ during today’s eclipse.

The rare celestial event, which will see the moon obscure the sun by up to 95%, will take place between 6pm and 8pm, causing the sky to darken for a period of time.

During this point, a large portion of Britain’s solar power will be knocked out – just as millions of people are getting home from work and electricity demand rises.

To try and reduce the strain on the grid, Octopus Energy is urging the public to move everyday jobs outside the busy 6-8pm window – which means avoiding running certain appliances.

Octopus advised against running washing machines, games consoles and dishwashers during the eclipse – encouraging people to use them earlier or later in the day, where possible.

The following appliances can also use plenty of electricity in the home, so it might be worth turning them off at the plug, too:

• Tumble dryers
• TVs
• Ovens
• Electric showers
• Air conditioning units and fans.

Octopus noted that solar energy generated 14.4% of Britain’s electricity in July, “meaning a couple of hours without sunshine can leave a gap that has to be filled”.

According to the Guardian, today’s eclipse is expected to wipe out between 300 and 1,100 megawatts of solar power.

If enough households delay using electricity for a short period of time, it can “reduce the need to fire up extra gas power stations,” Octopus said in a press release.

The supplier said eligible customers who use less electricity than normal during the hours of the eclipse will earn free electricity the following weekend.

If you’re planning on heading outside to view the eclipse, but haven’t been able to get your hands on certified eclipse glasses, check out our guide to watching it safely using everyday, household items.