Knowing which times are ‘best' can help you make ‘smarter' choices and reduce your utility bills
Octopus Energy is urging UK households to try and follow a daily ‘rule' when using electricity if they're keen to lower their energy bills and save money. On its website, the energy supplier has a page dedicated to sharing money-saving tips and tricks to help make household bills as affordable as possible and prevent people from paying more than they need to.
On its ‘Energy saving tips: save over £500 on your energy bills' page, Octopus Energy recommends a few steps homeowners should consider taking in the kitchen to help lower costs. It stresses that “timing is key” and suggests saving laundry chores until off-peak times as a general rule of thumb.
“To save energy, it's worthwhile thinking about when you use electricity, for example, putting a load of washing on.,” it says. “Between midnight and 4pm, more of the UK's power comes from clean, green renewable sources.” It adds a perk for certain customers: “AND if you're on a day/night tariff, you can use the cheaper night-time rate for overnight washes or EV charging.”
By following this ‘rule', homeowners may be able to take better control of their monthly outgoings and shave off a few pounds from their utility bills. It is known that certain times of the day are usually ‘cheaper' than others due to lower electricity demand, for example, in the early hours of the morning.
Octopus Energy's ‘best time' example of only using big amounts of electricity between midnight and 4pm largely depends on your specific energy tariff. If you are on a standard flat-rate tariff, the price is the same 24/7. To save money by using electricity at certain times, you need a time-of-use tariff, such as Economy Seven or a smart meter tariff.
Using smart meters for variable tariffs can help you save a lot of money. You can move tasks that use a lot of energy, like doing laundry or cooking, to times when energy is cheaper.
Consider using dishwashers, washing machines, and charge electric cars at night or when energy is cheaper. Try using pressure cookers or air fryers in the morning when rates are lower, and then just heat up your food later.
Conserving energy helps you save money because it lowers your utility bills. When you use less gas and electricity, you end up paying less for those services.
Off-peak hours (which have cheaper rates) usually happen at night, generally a seven-hour period from midnight to 7am (or similar times from 10pm to 8am). This is when the electricity demand on the national grid is at its lowest.
Peak hours (which have more expensive rates) usually occur in the morning (around 7am-9am) and in the evening (around 4pm-7pm), when most people are at home and using energy. The daytime rates during these times are usually higher than those on a standard single-rate tariff.
For most time-of-use plans, the time from midnight to 4pm has a mix of off-peak and sometimes standard or even peak rates:
- Midnight to early morning (like 2am-5am) is usually the cheapest time, called the “super off-peak” period.
- Morning hours (like 8am-10am) are often peak times and can be pricey.
- Late morning and afternoon (like 10am-4pm) might have a standard rate, an off-peak rate, or a super off-peak rate based on your specific plan.
Midnight is usually a great time to use electricity. However, using it at 4 pm can be costly, as that's when peak rates typically begin.
Look at your bill. Make sure you know if you have a single-rate or multi-rate plan and check the exact off-peak hours for your plan.
Change your usage. Use high-energy appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, and tumble dryers (a lot of them have timers) during the off-peak times you confirmed.
Avoid using energy during peak times. Try not to run energy-heavy appliances during the busy evening hours (usually from 4pm to 7pm).
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Think about your lifestyle. Time-of-use tariffs only save you money if you can move at least 40% of your electricity use to the cheaper hours.
For the best information on your rates and to compare different options, reach out to your energy supplier or check out energy comparison services like MoneySuperMarket or Compare the Market.