The washing machine is one of the hungriest appliances in an Indian home — and one of the easiest to automate. Put it on a smart plug and you can run it when electricity is cheapest, make sure it's never left powered on, and see exactly what each wash costs. Here's how to do it properly.
Why Automate the Washing Machine?
- Off-peak washing: where your DISCOM offers time-of-day tariffs, scheduling washes at night or midday saves real money.
- No phantom power: cut supply completely after the cycle so the machine isn't drawing standby power all day.
- Cost per wash: energy monitoring tells you what a hot-water cycle really costs.
- Remote check: confirm it's switched off from your office.
Step 1: Pick the Right Amperage (Important)
Most fully-automatic machines, especially those with an in-built heater, draw a high current. Use a 16A smart plug for any machine with a heater or a large front-loader; a 10A plug suits only small, non-heating semi-automatics. When in doubt, choose 16A. Our appliance-by-appliance guide lists the rating for each machine type.
Step 2: Set It Up
- Plug the smart plug into the washing machine's socket, then plug the machine into it.
- Pair it in the AZIOT / SmartLife app over 2.4GHz WiFi and name it "Washing Machine".
- Turn on energy monitoring to log every wash.
New to smart plugs? Start with what is a smart plug.
Step 3: Automate It
- Off-peak schedule: load the machine in the evening, set the plug to power on at your cheap-tariff time, and press start on the machine's delay timer.
- Auto-off: schedule power to cut 2–3 hours after the cycle so nothing stays energised.
- Voice: "Alexa, turn on the washing machine."
A Note on Delay-Start Machines
Many machines have their own delay-start. The smart plug complements it: the plug controls power (and monitoring), the machine controls the cycle. Use the plug's schedule to supply power a few minutes before the machine's delay-start fires.
Track What You Save
Check the plug's energy log after a week. Hot washes on the heater setting are usually the surprise — knowing the cost helps you decide when a cold wash is enough. See smart plug power monitoring.
Safety First
- Never run a heater-equipped machine on a 10A plug.
- Keep the plug and socket dry — place them away from the drain area.
- One appliance per plug; don't chain a multiplug off it.
More everyday ideas in 15 clever smart plug uses.
Wash smarter: browse AZIOT 10A and 16A smart plugs and put your washing machine on autopilot.