One of the key issues arising from extended smart metering roll-out across Europe is how the data obtained from the meters may be used to provide end users with important information on energy-saving advice, which is one of the main principles of demand side management (DSM). The investigation of the potential for demand side management to reduce peak load were evaluated in this study. One four-person household was surveyed with the aim to find out user activities within the house, in particular, the use of appliances. Two appliances – a washing machine and dishwasher - were selected for assessing the potential for load shifting. The derived results show that, as a result of washing machine and dishwasher load shifting, the peak load of a dwelling can be reduced on average by 24% and 13.5%, respectively