Is electricity cheaper at night?

What are peak and off-peak electricity times?

Peak electricity times are the hours during the day and evening when most people will be using electricity. Off-peak electricity times are when power demand is at its lowest – typically during the night.

What time of day is electricity cheapest?

The cheapest off-peak electricity times can vary between providers, where you live and the time of year. But electricity is generally cheapest from late at night until early morning.

This means that electricity will typically be more expensive during peak daytime hours.

Can I get cheaper electricity at night?

You can get cheaper electricity at night if you choose an off-peak tariff – for example, an EV or Economy 7 tariff. Some providers also offer opt-in schemes that offer cheaper rates at certain times. Otherwise, your electricity will be charged at the same rate, no matter when you use it.

If you have an off-peak tariff, your electricity bills will only be cheaper if you make the most of the off-peak times and don’t use most of your electricity during the day. For example, you could take advantage of the cheaper rate to:

• Run appliances such as a dishwasher

• Charge electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops

• Charge an electric car.

What off-peak tariffs are available?

There are several types of off-peak tariffs and schemes on the market. Here are a few examples:

Economy 7

An Economy 7 offers you seven hours of cheaper electricity. It can be a good option for those who use a lot of energy during the night: for example, if you have electric night storage heaters. But daytime rates can be steep. You’ll only save money on these tariffs if you use at least 40% of your electricity at night.

Homes on these tariffs need either a smart meter or a dual-rate meter, which can record how much electricity you’re using at different times of the day. This allows your supplier to charge you a cheaper rate during off-peak times.

Economy 10

These are similar to Economy 7 tariffs and offer 10 hours of cheaper electricity. They’re less widely available than Economy 7 tariffs.

Electric vehicle (EV) tariffs

These are specifically designed for people who charge their electric cars at home. They offer cheap electricity overnight, although hours can vary. You may need to use the electricity supplier’s charger to get the best rates.

Agile Octopus

Octopus Energy has gone one step further with its Agile Octopus Plunge Pricing tariff. You’ll be alerted when prices drop below zero and can programme your smart devices so they can take advantage of the situation too. The idea is that you save money when wholesale prices fall.

Going forward, this type of smart time-of-use tariff could change strict on and off-peak times to something more flexible.

OVO time-of-use tariffs

OVO’s Power Move plan rewards customers for using energy at greener and cheaper times of the day if they meet certain targets.

The provider also offers a range of restricted hours tariffs for electric heating. These offer between eight and 15 hours of cheaper, off-peak electricity.

British Gas PeakSave

British Gas customers can sign up to PeakSave Sundays, which offers cheap electricity for five hours on Sunday. And it’s PeakSave Green Flex scheme offers half-price electricity in one or two-hour blocks when there’s a lot of renewable energy available.

Will using an off-peak tariff definitely be cheaper?

There’s no guarantee that an off-peak tariff will work out cheaper. What matters is the price of the units and when you use the power.

If you have, say, an Economy 7 tariff but use most of your electricity during the day, you'll end up paying more than you would on a normal type of tariff.

So, you’ll need to take into account how much you’ll use during peak times to see if it’s worthwhile.

How can I cut the cost of my electricity?

Make sure you know your off-peak and peak times and try to concentrate your power use in the off-peak period.

And make sure your supplier tells you when your meter switches from one rate to the other. Getting it wrong by just a few minutes every day could really add up over the course of a year.

Also, be aware that the meter may not change when the clocks do – every March and October.

If you have storage radiators, make sure you know how they work so that you can store heat during the night and release it during the day.

If off-peak tariffs aren’t for you, there are other ways to cut your energy bills:

• Don’t use your tumble dryer — it’s much cheaper to dry clothes on the line

• Don’t charge your phone unnecessarily — unplug it when it's at 100%

• Don’t leave gadgets on standby — unplugging them completely will save you money.

• Draught-proof your doors and fit curtains or blinds

• Use solar-powered lights outside.