One of the main problems facing the national grid is that electricity demand could be more consistent. Peak and off-peak hours refer to the times of day when the national grid experiences a higher demand for electricity than at other times. Understanding peak and off-peak hours is worth doing so you can use them to your advantage.
What Are Peak Hours?
Peak hours are the hours when the electricity demand is highest. The peak times for residential power are early evening. This is when people come home from work and start turning everything on the kettle, the television, the lights, and the heating. The rise in the use of electric vehicles has further exacerbated this, as people come home from work and plug their cars in to charge up. The working week is also considered peak hours, so the standard is 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays. These are the times when most businesses are operational and run computers and other equipment. Some electricity companies consider the morning hours peak hours, around 7 am to 9 am.
What Are Off-Peak Hours?
Off-peak hours refer to the hours when electricity demand is at its lowest. These times are generally overnight when most people are asleep and the weekend due to the lack of demand from businesses. The precise timings for off-peak hours vary between suppliers, and you can confirm this with your energy supplier. Off-peak starts around 9 pm and continues to around 7 am.
Differences Between Peak And Off-peak Hours
But what difference is there between peak and off-peak hours? Well, it depends on how your electricity tariff is set up. If you pay a standard flat rate tariff, you pay the same energy price no matter what time you use that energy. However, given the rising energy costs and the cost of living crisis, more people are moving over to Time-of-Use plans. You pay a different price for peak and off-peak energy on these energy contracts. This difference exists because the grid works more efficiently when not overloaded, so it is cheaper for the energy companies to supply your power during off-peak hours.
Reasons For Peak And Off-Peak Hours
It is more expensive for power companies to provide energy to consumers during peak hours, so they need to allow for this extra cost. Hence, there is a need for peak and off-peak hours. Traditional storage heaters relied on peak and off-peak hours to heat up during the cheaper hours and then release the heat during the more expensive hours. In order to generate the additional energy required during peak hours, energy sources have to increase production, which can be more expensive. This increased cost leads to the need to price electricity at peak or off-peak hours.
Benefits of Using Electricity During Off-Peak Hours
However, you can use this to your advantage once you understand how peak and off-peak hours work. If you want to use more energy during off-peak hours, speak to your energy provider and discuss the best contract for your needs. When they get an electric car, many people change their energy contracts to ensure that they benefit from the cheaper off-peak hours overnight, which is the perfect time to charge up.
Tips for Utilising Off-Peak Hours
The most important tip for utilising the off-peak hours is to check the exact timings of your energy provider’s off-peak and peak hours. These may vary between providers. If you have an electric car, charge it during the off-peak hours. Washing machines and tumble dryers are best used at the weekend or set on timers to come on during off-peak hours, though it is worth considering that it is safer to run these devices when you are at home and awake.
Power banks are a handy way to charge mobile phones and laptops. Simply charge your power banks during the off-peak hours and then use them to charge your devices during the peak hours in the evening. Remember to ensure that your clocks are all reset correctly when they go forward or back so you don’t get caught out. If you have a storage heater, ensure it will come on at night to maximise those cheaper energy hours.
Tips to Cut The Cost of Electricity
Electricity is expensive, but even with the best will in the world, we do need to use it. However, it is important to be mindful of our energy consumption. Investing in modern appliances with good energy ratings will pay dividends. Older fridges and freezers are notoriously power-hungry. Turn everything off. Our homes are full of devices that all use power; TVs, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops should all be turned off when not in use to reduce their energy consumption. Consider switching to a time-of-use tariff to take advantage of the off-peak savings, but only if you utilise it; otherwise, it could be more expensive. Consider installing a home battery storage system if investing in solar panels or electric vehicles. This will enable you to save the power generated until you want to use it and can give you a self-sufficient home energy system.
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