Home washing machine is pay-per-use

Netherlands-based Bundles is offering members a free washing machine, charging them only for what they wash each month.

Maintaining a home can often be an expensive pursuit, but there are companies using innovative pricing models to help property owners out. The Netherlands’ Uw Huismeester has already introduced a home caretaker service by subscription, and now a startup called Bundles is offering members a free washing machine, charging them only for what they wash each month.

Rather than paying the upfront cost of a washing machine, Bundles customers receive a Miele WKG 120 WCS device that can hold up to 8kg of laundry and retails for EUR 1,299. An engineer will arrive to install the machine and subscribers simply pay a monthly fee depending on how much washing they do. Bundles membership costs EUR 18.95 a month for up to 15 loads, EUR 19.95 a month for up to 25 washes and EUR 21.95 for 35 uses each month. If customers don’t reach their maximum usage, they’re refunded EUR 0.50 for up to three fewer washes. On the same token, they pay EUR 0.50 for every load over their maximum. Bundles membership includes advice and repair, as well as the Bundles Buddy data tool to help customers track their usage.

The concept means that consumers don’t have to pay up front for an expensive washing machine and are also rewarded for cutting back on the number of washes they do, helping the environment in the process. Are there other household appliances that could benefit from a similar pay-per-use scheme?