Summary
Most electricity suppliers offer an off-peak tariff – charging a cheaper rate for electricity used at night and a higher rate in the daytime. These are sometimes called Economy 7 tariffs.
Using these tariffs can help save money for people who use a lot of electricity at night, for instance if they have electric storage heaters or hot water tanks, or if they are shift workers whose working hours mean they use more power at night.
Off-peak tariffs like Economy 7 can also save money for households that are able to change the times when they use lots of electricity to use more of it at night – for example, by running washing machines or other household appliances at night, using a timer if necessary.
Rates and timings
Not all electricity suppliers offer Economy 7 or off-peak tariffs to new customers or for every type of meter, so it is important to check with the supplier whether an off-peak scheme is available for the specific household.
The cheaper night rate usually applies between midnight and 7am, but this varies by supplier.
To benefit from off-peak or Economy 7 tariffs, households generally need to use 30–40% of their electricity at night.
These schemes may not be cost-effective for households that use most of their energy during the day, have gas heating or cannot run appliances during off-peak hours.
Checking tariff details
People who may want to make use of Economy 7 or other off-peak schemes can check their tariff details by:
- Checking their energy bill for day and night rates
- Logging into their online account with their energy supplier
- Contacting their supplier to confirm what the supplier’s off-peak hours are and whether the tariff is suitable for them.
How to make best use of the cheaper night rate
Heat the home with night storage heaters
- Charge heaters at night
- Release stored heat during the day
- Adjust the charging or “input” and temperature or “output” controls on the storage heater to make best use of the cheaper nighttime electricity
- Avoid using the “boost” function or using plug-in heaters.
Heat water overnight
- Set immersion heaters to run during nighttime off-peak hours
- Avoid using the boost function during the daytime where possible.
Run washing machines and other household appliances during off-peak hours
- Suitable appliances include washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers and slow cookers.
- Use timers to run these appliances either at the start or the end of the night-rate window
- Try to limit daytime use of immersion heaters, tumble dryers, ovens and electric heaters
- Use timers and smart plugs to control when appliances switch on and off to help ensure heating, water heating and appliances only run during cheaper hours.
Charge devices and equipment at night – safely
Charge items such as electric vehicles, mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs, laptops and phones at night. Make sure you charge items safely. This means:
- Charge only on a hard, non-flammable surface – NEVER on beds or sofas
- Use the correct chargers
- Do not charge damaged or overheating devices
- Ideally charge during the start or the end of the off-peak period rather than while everyone is asleep.
Suppliers’ OFF PEAK ELECTRICITY RATES information
You can find links to the main suppliers’ off-peak tariff information below.
British Gas – NB this applies to electricity supplies only