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As electricity costs continue to rise in the UK, finding ways to save on energy bills has become absolutely crucial. One effective strategy is to understand how to take advantage of the times of day when power is cheapest.
Understanding how to use this system, what times those cheaper rates are, altering your energy consumption patterns to fit, and learning ways to optimise your energy usage can save you significant money on your power bills.
Let’s explore this together.
What Is Off-Peak Electricity?
We all know how much the average UK electricity bill has been increasing, so we’re all looking for ways to save money. One way is to take advantage of off-peak power.
However, most people are on fixed tariffs, simply paying a flat rate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It means you won’t have access to cheaper tariffs, as it doesn’t matter what time you use power.
However, if you have a variable time-of-use tariff, you benefit from having two different electricity rates. Peak electricity is when the power demand is the highest, typically right after work until bedtime and again in the morning when everyone is getting ready. Then, usually late at night, you pay much less; this is called off-peak hours. With variable tariffs, you typically pay more during peak hours than a flat rate tariff, but you pay considerably less during off-peak. Depending on your usage patterns, this can cost or save money on your bill.
To use time-of-use tariffs, you need a meter with multiple meter reading screens, like an Economy 7 or Economy 10, although other models work as well. You must also contact your provider to see if time-of-use tariffs are available at your location.
Do You Need To Pay Two Rates for Your Electricity?
You can just stay on a flat rate meter. While your peak-hour rates will be slightly lower than those with two rates, your nighttime and off-peak rates will be significantly higher.
However, whether or not you want to switch depends entirely on how you use your energy. Two-rate meters will help you save money if you use at least 30% of your electricity at night. For instance, those running an electric heater, washer, dryer, and dishwasher late at night could benefit greatly from a two-rate system.
However, if you use most of your power during the early evening when you get home from work and very little late at night, you’re better off on a flat rate system to avoid higher electrical bills.
If you’re unsure when you use your power, a smart meter will show you your energy usage data throughout the day.
What Time Does Off-Peak Electricity Start?
What off-peak hours are available varies depending on your provider, location, and meter. However, most providers set off-peak hours somewhere between 11 pm and 8 am the following day.
However, even with the same provider, those hours can change with the seasons, holidays, and even the day of the week. Therefore, you should contact your energy supplier to determine your peak and off-peak hours.
Do Smart Meters Work With Off-Peak Rates?
Yes, smart meters are designed to handle multiple rates. They are also a convenient way of monitoring your energy use, which you will be able to see on your in-home display (IHD). If you want near real-time data, be sure your meter is set to send half-hourly usage data, which you can do through your online account.
If you’re unsure, reach out to your energy provider for help.
How To Save Money With Off-Peak Electricity
Understand Your Energy Usage
To save money, you must understand and monitor your electricity use. It’s not hard to do if you have a smart meter, which will tell you how much you use and when. Smart plugs will also show how much power is being used.
Even without a smart meter, you can calculate your kWh usage by adding up all the watts your appliances use and estimating how long each runs to determine your total kWh usage.
Note that if appliances are given in amps or volts, you can calculate between them using the following formula:
Watts = Amps x Volts
Then, simply divide watts by 1000 to get kW. To find kWh, multiply that appliance by its running time.
Then, think about when you are running those appliances. If it’s only during peak hours and you cannot switch any appliances to off-peak hours, you may want to stay on a flat rate.
Run Energy-Intensive Appliances at Night
It’s important to understand which appliances use the most power. Household appliances like washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers are all best run at night to take advantage of off-peak hours.
Invest in Smart Appliances
Smart appliances conveniently allow you to schedule their runtime through a user interface or an app on your smartphone. It makes it really easy to take advantage of those cheaper hours. No more needing to get up in the middle of the night to run your laundry or dishwasher!
Invest in Smart Thermostats and Other Smart Home Tech
Smart thermostats are a great way to schedule your thermostat according to your schedule. This offers more flexibility without needing to always remember to turn it up or down manually.
You can also invest in smart plugs that show your energy use. They may even allow you to control appliance usage during peak and off-peak times, even if you don’t yet have smart appliances.
Finally, the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel is another device that hooks into your household electrical and allows you to monitor and control your usage through the EcoFlow App on your smartphone.
Invest in Solar
Of course, the best way to save money on electrical bills is to supplement or replace your on-grid power. If you invest in a solar generator, you can save significant money.
For instance, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro + 400W Solar Panel has 3600W of output and up to 4500W with its X-Boost technology to cover those extra starting watts. This unit alone will power almost any household appliance, but if you need more, you can pair it with another one and a Smart Home Panel to get 7200W.
In fact, the EcoFlow DELTA Series Portable Power Stations come in a wide range of capacities to supplement on-grid homes or supply enough power for off-grid homes, whether small one-person homes or large homes with large families. No matter what capacity you need, solar power has you covered!
Use a Portable Power Station
Alternatively, if you live in an apartment or have no space for solar panels, you could get an EcoFlow Portable Power Station. You can use it to run appliances like your heater, dishwasher, or TV during peak hours when you get home from work. Then, you can use a standard AC wall plug to recharge it at night while you sleep, and rates are cheaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, off-peak tariffs are much cheaper than peak tariffs. They are also cheaper than flat-rate tariffs, which are typically somewhere between on- and off-peak ones. However, whether or not you pay less depends on how much power you use late at night compared to during peak times.
Yes, if you’re on a time-of-use tariff with peak and off-peak rates, your electricity will be cheaper. However, if you’re on a flat rate, you’ll pay the same fee regardless of the time of day.
Final Thoughts
Understanding off-peak electricity and how to take advantage of it is critical to saving money on your electrical bills. Timing your electricity use for late at night during off-peak hours is the key to maximising your savings. You can also invest in smart appliances and use smart home tech to manage and optimise your energy use.
If you want to enhance your energy efficiency even further, consider products like the EcoFlow DELTA Series Portable Power Stations, which can provide an extra energy supply during more expensive peak hours. Whether you charge it with solar panels during the day or utilise AC wall plugs to recharge it at night when rates are cheaper, they help you save on your electricity bills.
