What time of night is the cheapest to use electricity? (2023)

What time at night is electricity cheaper?

Energy prices are at their lowest between 10pm and 5am, but make sure you never leave it on over night as this could be a fire risk. Other ways to keep costs low include washing clothes less (save a pile of laundry rather than running a half-empty cycle) and washing with cooler water.

The cheapest times to use electricity are during non-peak hours. Non-peak hours vary a little between Retail Electric Providers but generally range from 10:00 pm-5:00 am. You don't need to switch to the graveyard shift in order to save money on your electricity bills.

You'll have a higher day rate, and a cheaper night rate, which applies for seven to nine hours between 8pm and 8am.

Your off-peak times are between 1.30pm and 4pm, and overnight between 11pm and 7am.

Putting your washing in during the evening and setting the machine to run into the early hours of the morning could greatly reduce your electricity costs, as energy prices are lowest between 10pm and 5am.

Given that energy prices are at their lowest between 10pm and 5am, I would advise scheduling your washing machine to run into the early hours of the morning. Doing this can help you to significantly cut down energy costs."

On weekdays, energy costs less before 4 p.m. and after 9 p.m. Energy always costs less on weekends and most holidays.

The cheapest time to do laundry is during off-peak hours.

Avoid the seasonally specific peak hours shared above, as well as the hours between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., when people are getting home from work and using high-demand appliances.

Usually – the 7 hours of off-peak electricity rates at night are usually cheaper, but you can check with your energy supplier to be sure. If you're an EDF customer you can find out the current unit rates for economy 7 meters as of 1st October 2022, if you're on the standard variable tariff.

What uses electricity overnight?

Bear in mind some appliances (like fridge/freezers and TVs on standby) use electricity overnight. Visit the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) to get free and impartial advice on the energy usage of your appliances.

It's cheaper at night, when demand for power is at its lowest. This quieter period is called the off-peak hours, which usually falls between 10pm and 8am. Conversely, peak hours are during the daytime, when more people are using electricity and demand is higher. Not all energy suppliers follow time-of-use tariffs.

Off-peak times vary slightly depending on the supplier, but they are usually between 10pm and 8am. This is when the least energy is taken from the grid and so energy suppliers can afford to offer cheaper prices. Peak time is during the day.

Generally speaking, the Off-Peak window begins after 09:30 and outside of evening commuter hours - 15:30-18:15 - for travel in and out of big cities. Super Off-Peak tickets become available after 10:00.

The best off-peak electricity tariff will vary from supplier to supplier. However, off-peak time is typically viewed as between 10pm and 8am. This is the cheapest time to use electricity as most people will be in bed during this time range, so energy is at its lowest demand.

Run your washer and dryer early in the morning or at night to avoid the surge. During the winter, electricity demand is highest in the morning hours between 7 and 9 am when people are waking up and turning up their heat. Doing laundry in the evening is your safest bet.

The amount you pay depends on the time of day you use electricity. But most energy suppliers charge a flat rate for electricity. So no matter what time you turn on the dishwasher or washing machine, it will cost you the same.

Is it cheaper to wash clothes by hand or in washing machine?

There is no definitive answer to this question. Washing your clothes by hand will use considerably less water than using a machine but unless you use cold water, the energy required to heat the water in your home probably outweighs the electricity usage by your appliance.

Feel the heat? That's wasted electricity—technically, it's called "no load mode," but in reality it's just another vampire. According to the Berkeley Lab's testing, cell phone chargers in no load mode consume around 0.26 watts, and laptop chargers, 4.42 watts.

Energy suppliers that pay you to turn off appliances due to blackout plans. According to research from Uswitch, these gadgets use 100 watts of energy to warm a double bed before switching to a sleep setting or being turned off. A 100W electric blanket run for seven hours a week would use 0.7kWh.

A fridge or freezer is the one appliance that needs to be kept on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so it is no surprise to hear that it could be one of the most energy-consuming appliances in your home.

Don't wash those clothes

According to folklore, if you wash clothes on New Year's Day, you'll be “washing for the dead” or washing a loved one away -- meaning someone in your household will die in the coming year. Get your laundry wash, dried, folded and put away by New Year's Eve.

It costs between 7 cents and 32 cents per load to run a dryer. On average, it costs 29 cents per load to run an electric dryer.

“I would recommend turning your heating off at night, or when you are not at home, as this will help to save energy and lower your bills,” says Collier. Temperatures are lower first thing in the morning and once the sun goes down; this is when you are most likely to want the heating on.

It Saves Electricity – Small Amount

Turning a TV off at night completely and removing from standby will save electricity and will save you a small amount of money.

Electricity consumption typically cycles each day with the lowest demand occurring around 5:00 a.m. and the highest demand occurring at some point during the day (depending on the season), before falling back down during late evening hours.

Does off-peak mean cheaper?

Off-Peak fares are cheaper tickets for travelling on trains that are less busy. Offering good value for money, these tickets may require you to travel at specific times of day, days of the week or on a specific route.

Off-peak electricity hours are periods when the electricity demand is low, which results in consumers paying lower electricity prices. During these times, utilities and electric companies don't have to pay as much to generate electricity because people are using less energy overall.

When are they valid? You can travel Off-Peak on weekdays outside busy times. You can also use your Off-Peak train tickets to travel at any time on weekends and bank holidays. The times you can use your tickets vary, so use the journey planner to check for Off-Peak services.

This means you pay less for any energy you use at night (usually between 12:00am and 7:00am) and more for energy used during the day (usually between 7:00am and 12:00am).

A few energy providers charge less for using electricity at certain times of day (or night). These off-peak hours tend to be quieter periods when power demand is at its lowest, for example between 10pm and 8am.

It's cheaper at night, when demand for power is at its lowest. This quieter period is called the off-peak hours, which usually falls between 10pm and 8am. Conversely, peak hours are during the daytime, when more people are using electricity and demand is higher. Not all energy suppliers follow time-of-use tariffs.

According to EDF, you will generally get your seven hours of off-peak electricity sometimes between 11pm and 8am.

The timings tend to be at night, roughly between 10pm and 8am, but they differ between suppliers and tariffs. On the other hand, peak electricity times are when power demand is at its highest and, therefore, the charges increase.

You should disconnect your desktop computer, monitor, laptop, printer, scanner, modem, or anything connected to these elements after use. Turn them off every night and when they are not in active use. It means making a habit of unplugging appliances to save energy and not leaving them in standby mode.

You won't save energy by turning your fridge off for short periods of time because it will just use more energy to cool down again when you do turn it back on.

How much does it cost to run a TV at night?

The average cost to run a TV is $1.34 per month ($16.04 annually). Per hour, modern TVs cost between $0.0015 and $0.0176 to run, with the average costing $0.0088. Running a TV 24/7 in Standby mode costs between $0.66 and $3.94 per year.

Using a washing machine during the day or late at night can make all the difference and alleviate the pressure on household bills. Those on a time-of-use tariff will pay half the price to use energy-gobbling appliances outside of the 4pm to 9pm peak hours.

Off-peak times vary slightly depending on the supplier, but they are usually between 10pm and 8am. This is when the least energy is taken from the grid and so energy suppliers can afford to offer cheaper prices.

The best time of day to run your washer and dryer is early in the morning or at night to avoid the surge in price. “During the winter, electricity demand is highest in the morning hours between 7am and 9am when people are waking up and turning up their heat. Doing laundry in the evening is your safest bet.”