It’s now easy to work out the best time to put on a wash, charge an electric car or run the dishwasher.
A new interactive tool shows how Britain is being powered in real time and identifies the cleanest half-hour in the next 24 hours.
It allows users to see how much of Britain’s electricity is currently being generated by wind, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels.
And as more flexible energy tariffs become available, choosing when to use electricity could eventually help households save money too.
The free dashboard, called Grid Insights, has been developed by renewable energy installer and green-tech company Dwellow. It also forecasts how the electricity mix is expected to change over the coming hours.
This means households can choose to run energy-hungry appliances when renewable generation is at its highest.
‘Whether you’re charging an electric vehicle, running a heat pump or simply putting the washing on, understanding when electricity is at its greenest is becoming an increasingly valuable piece of information,’ Adam Raw, co-founder of Dwellow, said.
If you want to have a look at what’s happening with Britain’s energy right now, you can access the tool here.
Logging into the site brings up a dashboard indicating how clean Britain’s energy currently is. Today (Friday August 14th) solar panels across the country are providing nearly a third of all power
Logging into the site brings up a dashboard indicating how clean Britain’s energy currently is, where your power is coming from and a ‘greenest window’ forecast.
It highlights milestones including Britain’s greenest-ever half-hour, its windiest day and its most solar-powered day.
It also shows how long the country has gone without burning coal and tracks changes in carbon intensity over time.
The launch comes as Britain’s electricity system undergoes a dramatic shift away from fossil fuels.
Renewables generated a record 52.5 per cent of the UK’s electricity in 2025, with both wind and solar reaching new highs.
Britain has also recently recorded periods when fossil fuels supplied just 2 per cent of its electricity, the lowest level since records began.
‘It’s fascinating to see how Britain is being powered in real time, but it’s also genuinely useful,’ Mr Raw said.
‘As more homes electrify over the coming decade, people won’t just think about how much electricity they use, but when they use it.’
The dashboard also shows how long the country has gone without burning coal and tracks changes in carbon intensity over time
Renewables generated a record 52.5 per cent of the UK’s electricity in 2025, with both wind and solar (pictured) reaching new highs
The amount of renewable electricity available can fluctuate significantly depending on factors such as sunshine and wind speeds.
This makes the timing of electricity use increasingly important as millions more homes switch to electric cars, heat pumps and other technologies.
Running appliances during periods of abundant renewable generation can help reduce carbon emissions.
As more flexible energy tariffs become available, this could increasingly reduce household energy bills too.
Experts have previously revealed a range of ways Britons can reduce their energy use and save money.
This includes turning off electrical appliances like TVs and radios at the wall, rather than letting them stay on standby.
Washing clothes at 30°C can use 40 per cent less electricity over the year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
Air drying requires no electricity compared to using a tumble drier, while making sure your dishwasher is filled before switching it on can also help.
Another tip is to use eco mode on washing machines and dishwashers where available.
Leaving your phone plugged in and charging all night can also waste electricity, they said, because the average smartphone only takes roughly an hour and a half to charge up.
They suggest getting into the habit of charging during the day – either in the morning or when getting home from work.
Finally, cutting the length of your shower to just four minutes could help significantly cut back on bills – especially in households where people tend to take a leisurely wash.
