'Delay your cuppa': Yorkshire Water issues warning to Leeds households
‘Even small changes… can make a real difference’ ⚠️
Leeds residents are being urged to delay everyday jobs like putting the washing machine on, running the dishwasher or even boiling the kettle until after the busy evening rush.
Octopus Energy and Yorkshire Water are encouraging households to make the simple switch to help ease pressure on both the electricity grid and the county’s water network. It could also help to save you money.
Customers on Octopus' smart tariffs already pay less when there's lots of renewable electricity on the grid, meaning shifting energy-hungry jobs to quieter times of the day can help bring bills down.
Kieron Stopforth, head of flexibility at Octopus Energy, said: "Most of us don't think twice about putting the kettle on or running the dishwasher after dinner, but even small changes to when we use electricity can make a real difference.
"Moving those jobs by just an hour or two helps make better use of renewable energy, supports the grid and can put money back into people's pockets too. Saving Sessions prove that thousands of households making small changes together can have a huge impact."
Andy Shaw, head of water quality and production at Yorkshire Water, added: "Our reservoirs are currently in a healthy position, sitting at 75.7%, and our network is more resilient than ever.
“As always, we’re asking customers to use water wisely to ensure that our network can continue to meet demand during peak periods in the hot weather. A really simple way to do this is by holding off using your dishwasher or washing machine until after the evening rush, or by making simple switches in your usual routine.”
According to Water Wise, kitchens use 22% of household water. In addition to using appliances later in the day, customers can also support the local network by:
- Using full dishwashers on eco settings, rather than washing by hand
- Scraping rather than pre-rinsing dishes, as most modern detergents are designed to work effectively without extra rinsing
- Filling washing machines to recommended load sizes, and using the most water-efficient (eco) setting
Household flexibility remains one of Britain's biggest untapped resources. Octopus estimates UK homes could provide around 13GW of flexible electricity capacity – particularly through electric vehicles and home batteries – helping create a cleaner, cheaper and more resilient energy system.