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Peak and off-peak times refer to how electricity demand changes throughout the day. Peak hours are when demand and cost are the highest, while off-peak is when demand and cost are the lowest. People with variable time-of-use tariffs can save a lot of money by taking advantage of off-peak hours when costs are cheaper.
We will learn more about these terms, find out when off-peak hours are in Australia, discuss how smart meters can help, and give you some great tips for saving money.
Let’s get started.
What Does Peak and Off-Peak Mean?
Peak and off-peak refer to how the demand for electricity changes throughout the day and week. These terms are important for those on time-of-use tariffs, where the price you pay for power varies throughout the day.
Off-peak times are when electricity demand is lowest, typically late at night, on weekends, and during public holidays. Time-of-use tariffs pay the least during these times, and you can save significant money by running your energy-intensive appliances during off-peak hours.
Peak times, however, are when demand is the highest, usually during the day and early evening; this is when time-of-use tariffs pay the most, and you should limit your energy consumption.
However, to confuse matters, energy providers often categorise their rates as ‘peak usage’ for those on a single-rate tariff, where your fees remain constant regardless of time. For those, peak usage is all your energy consumption, with the exception of controlled loads applicable in certain circumstances.
Differences in Off-Peak Electricity Times Across Australia
Your off-peak times will vary depending on your energy provider and location since local energy distributors set the time-of-use tariffs. For example, in New South Wales, Ausgrid sets off-peak between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends and public holidays.
Queensland and Victoria follow a similar pattern but don’t include public holidays. Check your bill or contact your energy provider for your particular tariff schedule.
How Can Smart Meters Help?
Smart meters are helpful because they allow you to monitor household energy usage to maximise savings with time-of-use tariffs. When you can see your power usage in near real-time, you can start learning when and where you are using power. Start your dryer, look at your meter, and see how much your usage increased.
Most smart meters show you your tariffs so that you can easily learn when to run your energy-intensive appliances when rates are cheaper. You can pair it with smart appliances and control them remotely for even more convenient power savings.
Tips for Lowering Electricity Costs
1. Appliance Usage
Check how many watts your appliances use. If you’re on a time-of-use tariff, run those energy-hungry dryers at night during off-peak times and save money while you sleep. Newer smart appliances often have settings that allow you to schedule them directly, so you don’t have to get up at night to do your laundry.
2. Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is using less energy to complete the same task, which comes in many forms. Purchasing newer, more energy-efficient appliances could save you significant money. New models also often have additional energy-saving settings that can help you save even more.
Better insulation and sealing doors and windows can also make your whole home more energy efficient, saving you significant money.
3. Solar Panels
There are many benefits to Installing solar panels, and one of the most important benefits is the savings on your utility bills. When you install EcoFlow Solar Panels, you can significantly reduce your bills and even sell excess energy produced back to the grid through the Feed-in-tariff or FiT system.
You can also use solar power during the day when the sun is shining, but power is expensive, and rely on the grid at night when power is cheapest. There are even tons of solar tax incentives and rebates available throughout Australia that could save you thousands on the cost of installation.
Or, consider connecting your solar panels with a portable power station to create a solar generator. EcoFlow Solar Generators, such as the EcoFlow DELTA Series Solar Generators, allow you to harness the power of the sun and convert it into renewable energy. The EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max + 220W Solar Panel and EcoFlow DELTA Pro + 400W Solar Panel are fantastic options for powering your household appliances.
4. EV Charging at Night
Charging an Electric Vehicle (EV) uses a lot of power. Fortunately, most come with programmable chargers. Plug it in when you get home, but set it to charge after 10 pm, and you will save a lot of money.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a flat-rate tariff, your electricity price will not change no matter what time of day you use it. However, with variable time-of-use tariffs, your rates change throughout the day and are cheapest at night, usually between 10 pm and 7 am, but that may vary with your provider.
The best off-peak time to use electricity depends on your tariff and provider. First, you must have a variable time-of-use rather than a flat rate tariff that doesn’t vary throughout the day. With time-of-use tariffs, it’s cheapest at night, usually between 10 pm and 7 am, but that varies with your provider.
If you are on a time-of-use tariff, your electricity will be cheaper at night. Off-peak hours, when demand and cost are the lowest, are usually between 10 pm and 7 am; however, that will vary with your provider. If you have a flat rate tariff, your cost will not vary.
Final Thoughts
Peak and off-peak times refer to how electricity demand and cost change throughout the day. If you are signed up for a time-of-use tariff, learning to take advantage of off-peak electricity can save you significant money. Using power-hungry appliances at night during off-peak hours is a big way to reduce your electrical bills.
Using EcoFlow solar panels to supplement the energy that you get from the grid is a great idea for those on time-of-use tariffs because you can rely heavily on your solar panels for power during the day when electricity costs more and use grid power at night when it’s cheaper and your panels aren’t producing energy.