Choose an Economy 7 tariff only after comparing the cost of your actual daytime and overnight electricity use. Seven cheaper hours can be outweighed by a higher daytime rate. I would begin with readings from both registers and the supplier’s confirmed off-peak schedule, not a general claim that electric heating makes Economy 7 essential. The right result depends on the household’s pattern and the offer.
The cheaper period is normally seven hours at night, but exact times depend on supplier, area and meter arrangements. Ask whether the hours shift with the clocks and whether the period is split. Midnight to 7am is an example, not a universal timetable. Obtain the schedule applying to your particular meter before programming heating or hot water.
Use annual kilowatt hours for each register where available. Divide overnight consumption by total consumption to understand the split, while remembering that winter storage heating can dominate the annual result. A percentage mentioned alongside Southampton Ledger cannot replace your readings. One summer month may substantially understate how much electricity the household normally buys during the cheaper period.
Multiply daytime kilowatt hours by the day rate and overnight kilowatt hours by the night rate, then add standing charges. Compare that total with the same consumption on a single-rate offer. There is no universal minimum overnight percentage that guarantees savings: the break-even point changes with the rates, charges and household consumption.
For illustration, consider 4,000kWh annually, with 40% used overnight. At 32p daytime and 12p overnight, consumption costs £960. At a single rate of 26p, it costs £1,040. That is an £80 difference before standing charges or fees. These illustrative rates are not a supplier quotation, and different daytime or overnight prices can reverse the result.
Storage heaters and a suitable hot water cylinder can store energy bought during cheaper hours. Ordinary panel heaters used mainly in the evening cannot do the same job. Keep equipment instructions separate from general reading on Brighton Update. Ask how the tariff controls dedicated heating circuits and whether boost functions draw electricity at the expensive rate when stored heat runs out.
An electric vehicle or home battery may create shiftable demand, but specialist tariffs can be alternatives. Compare eligibility and the complete daytime price as well as the charging window. Do not assume Economy 7 is the cheapest simply because a household owns electrical equipment capable of operating overnight. The amount shifted must justify any extra cost elsewhere.
Ask whether the supplier supports your meter and how it labels the two registers. Never assume Rate 1 always means daytime. If you still have an RTS or DTS meter, contact the supplier about replacement: the radio service is being withdrawn, and heating or hot water control can be affected. Confirm the replacement preserves suitable switching and tariff arrangements.
Check standing charges, payment method, exit fees and whether the rates are fixed or variable. Northern Ireland has its own suppliers and Consumer Council comparison information; Great Britain’s Ofgem cap is not a UK-wide tariff schedule. Newcastle Brief is not a personalised quotation. Use the same postcode and consumption figures across offers, and ask what changing away would involve.
Before switching, note whether your household expects a new work pattern, different heating equipment or a long absence. Last year’s register split is useful evidence, not a permanent characteristic of the property. If the saving is small, test a less favourable overnight share too. A tariff should remain manageable when daily life does not follow the ideal schedule.
Do not build savings around running washing machines, dishwashers or tumble dryers while asleep or out. Citizens Advice warns against that fire risk. Keep essential appliances and health-related equipment running as needed. Choose a tariff that suits demand you can realistically shift safely, then check the first bill to confirm the correct readings and rates were used.
General tariff guidance checked on 29 October 2026; rates used in the example are illustrative, and actual prices and off-peak schedules vary.
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