[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":47},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f9xZf9umow6FjjNaluxZinZGZDN7prKSK2kdQPcL3uyc":3},{"id":4,"slug":5,"url":6,"date":7,"modified":8,"title":9,"excerpt":10,"content":11,"featuredImage":12,"featuredImageAlt":13,"tags":14},547,"josh-vs-the-tumble-dryer","https://blog.grizzlyware.com/josh-vs-the-tumble-dryer/","2026-07-20T15:04:49","2026-07-20T15:56:57","Josh vs the tumble dryer","\u003Cp>What do you get when you cross a developer, the Octopus Agile tariff, and three appliances that all count time differently? Josh found out.\u003C/p>\n","\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There’s a certain type of person who, when faced with a mildly annoying household chore, doesn’t just live with it. They build software.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our founder, Josh, is that person.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like many of us, Josh uses the Octopus Agile tariff at home, where energy prices change every half hour depending on demand. The idea is that you can save money by running your appliances when the cost is lowest.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It sounds simple enough, but in reality every machine’s timer works differently, and doing the maths can be frustrating.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, the washing machine asks when you want the cycle to end, while the dishwasher wants to know when the cycle should start. So does the tumble dryer, but only with a delay of 3, 6 or 9 hours. Working out when to queue the machines up therefore means studying the Agile rates and doing three different bits of mental arithmetic, while hoping you haven’t mixed up which numbers were for which machines.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or, if you’re Josh, it means spending a few hours building a little app to do it for you. You add each appliance, log how its timer works, and the app handles the rest, checking the Agile rates and telling you exactly what to set on each machine’s screen. \u003Ca href=\"https://cheaphours.uk/\">Take a sneak peek\u003C/a> if you’re curious.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s not part of our day job, but we love it, because it’s exactly how we like to work: noticing an annoying task, understanding its quirks and creating a tool that makes it easier, just on a much more personal scale.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The kettle should probably be nervous…\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003C/p>\n","https://blog.grizzlyware.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/blog-header-grid-v2-1200x630-1.jpg","Cheap Hours app screenshot",[15,19,23,27,31,35,39,43],{"id":16,"name":17,"slug":18},99,"app development","app-development",{"id":20,"name":21,"slug":22},98,"behind the scenes","behind-the-scenes",{"id":24,"name":25,"slug":26},97,"developer life","developer-life",{"id":28,"name":29,"slug":30},100,"energy prices","energy-prices",{"id":32,"name":33,"slug":34},103,"home energy","home-energy",{"id":36,"name":37,"slug":38},102,"Octopus Agile","octopus-agile",{"id":40,"name":41,"slug":42},96,"side project","side-project",{"id":44,"name":45,"slug":46},101,"smart home","smart-home",1784559774050]