Can I escape Economy 7? Is it worth it?

Pleaseadvise

Richie-from-the-Boro, I would make use of the night time rate for washing and drying if I could. I haven't been able to for four years because my neighbour could hear the washing machine. She went to the council, who sent me a letter saying my equipment would be confiscated if I used it at night. I live in fear of her deciding she can hear my fridge, then I'd have to stop using that overnight as well!

Horseunderwater

Pleaseadvise wrote: »

Richie-from-the-Boro, I would make use of the night time rate for washing and drying if I could. I haven't been able to for four years because my neighbour could hear the washing machine. She went to the council, who sent me a letter saying my equipment would be confiscated if I used it at night. I live in fear of her deciding she can hear my fridge, then I'd have to stop using that overnight as well!

Where on earth is your washing machine that she can hear it at night? Surely she should be in Bed asleep in a bedroom by then? Have you found out why she hates you that much? If your appliances are in a kitchen downstairs and they are working normally they should not be making too much noise or has the bearing started to go? If you have that many people to wash for, maybe saving up for a 9kg washer could be the answer as it would be on less and be much quieter. I bought a beko one for £249 from tesco direct in June 2012 and it's very quiet indeed. It has the facility to do a daily quick wash in 39 minutes if done at 30 deg C, which is fine for normal soiling etc. I now do way less washes than I did and I use econ 7 overnight electric with timer to do so. Saves even more. But then I do not live in a council or housing association home. However the walls are quite thin as it is 100 years old - Built 1912. I can hear my neighbours when they have music on loud, but that is normal life and they do not do it too often. Part of life.

Pleaseadvise

Horseunderwater, I would agree that hearing noise from neighbours sometimes is just part of life - but my neighbour thinks otherwise! I hear raised voices or hoovering from her house, but it wouldn't occur to me to complain. I don't think she hates me in particular, but rather that she is bitter about life in general.

I did replace the original washing machine, but the new one is still audible. It's not positioned next to the adjoining wall. It's not even in the same room as the adjoining wall, so I was very surprised that it disturbed her while I was fast asleep. Since her hearing seems to be unusually acute, I wouldn't want to risk doing any washing at night ever again, even with a particularly quiet machine. It wouldn't be much of a bargain to get one cheap wash, then have a brand new machine confiscated!