Are you sure that laundry and cooking are your most energy-intensive activities? I live in a house in Toronto and have TOU pricing. After measuring my appliances with a Kill A Watt, I determined that when averaged over an entire year, about 1/3 of my energy usage was for the refrigerator, 1/3 for the HVAC fan (almost entirely for 6 months of winter heating), and 1/3 for literally everything else discretionary (lights, cooking, electronics). I doubt that TOU pricing negatively affected you as much as you perceived.
The problem is that you measured energy usage for appliances that have non-discretionary use - ie. I don't get to decide when my fridge or HVAC turns on, that's a factor of the weather outside (for the most part...). Also, since fridges and HVAC fans run continuously, you end up with an averaged out price for energy.
Laundry energy use can't be amortized like a fridge can. They use an extreme amount of energy in short bursts. If you time your laundry incorrectly in a TOU setting, you absolutely will have a larger energy bill. I know this because I've been burned by it. 9c/kwH (low TOU) vs. 14c (high) is more than a 50% price increase for a load of laundry.
