Samsung washing machines get free electricity in the Netherlands

Ever heard of a company that makes washing machines help provide users with free electricity to run that machine? Well, now you have! Samsung has announced a strategic partnership with Coolblue Energie in the Netherlands to provide those who own a Samsung washing machine with free electricity to run it.

The free electricity will be provided at select hours of the day for eligible Samsung washing machines that are compatible with its SmartThings platform. It doesn't matter where customers have purchased their Samsung washing machine from. It just needs to be SmartThings-enabled.

The free electricity for Samsung washing machines will be supplied by Coolblue Energie between 12:00 and 15:00 every day. Customers won't be charged any electricity tariff, VAT, or energy tax on their machine's power consumption.

There's typically a surplus of solar and wind energy during these hours. This initiative aims to shift a significant chunk of power usage to these hours so that there's less load on the grid during peak hours.

Coolblue Energy director Marijn van Weele points out that washing machines and other similar appliances make up nearly 35% of an average household's power consumption. Moving this power consumption to between 12:00 and 15:00 will allow for maximizing the excess wind and solar generation capacity.

Those who have a compatible Samsung washing machine in the Netherlands just need to connect their machine to My Coolblue through the SmartThings app. They'll find the “Free washing” option in the “Energy” menu.

Coolblue Energy has been running this free washing program since late last year, and it's now being expanded to Samsung washing machines. Samsung and Coolblue Energie are also working together to expanding this collaboration to other appliances like tumble dryers later this year.