Your browser is out of date, please upgrade it.

Page last updated on 23rd August 2024

Time-of-use tariffs: accessing off-peak and EV tariffs with a smart meter

Time-of-use tariffs could help you change the way you use energy in your home, so you can save money on your bills. Read on to learn more about time-of-use tariffs, including electric vehicle energy tariffs, off-peak energy tariffs and more.

What’s on this page?

What is a time-of-use tariff?

Time-of-use tariffs offer different prices for energy at different times of the day, or on different days. With these tariffs, energy is cheaper at off-peak times, such as when less people are using energy, or when there is more renewable energy being generated.

For example, if you use your washing machine when there is a lot of renewable energy being produced (on windy or sunny days), your energy could be cheaper than if you were on a fixed rate tariff. Or, if you have an electric vehicle, you could have an electric vehicle (EV) tariff which would make it cheaper to charge your electric vehicle at night.

You may have heard of Economy 7 or Economy 10, which are older types of time-of-use tariffs, sometimes known as off-peak tariffs. However, newer flexible time-of-use tariffs are now available, such as electric vehicle tariffs and tracker tariffs. These require a smart meter to get all the benefits.

Off-peak energy tariffs and time-of-use tariffs are completely optional. They have been designed to help you save money on your bills, so you can feel more in control of the energy you’re using and your energy bills.

Smart meters and time-of-use tariffs

You may have heard of time-of-use tariffs being referred to as ‘smart meter tariffs’. This is because smart meters are needed to access most time-of-use tariffs. As more of us get smart meters, more time-of-use tariffs will become available, thanks to the half-hourly readings they provide.

Half hourly meter readings mean that your smart meter will send a meter reading to your supplier every 30 minutes. This lets suppliers know how much to charge consumers on time-of-use-tariffs, based on when they’ve used energy. This data also helps energy suppliers understand how much energy is being used around the country, and when. With this information, energy suppliers will be able to offer even more tariffs – like time-of-use tariffs – and energy saving schemes to suit our different lives.

We believe that Octopus Energy is now responsible for Affect Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Yu Energy are responsible for Ampower UK customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Yu Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Angelic Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that SSE is now responsible for Atlantic Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with SSE who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Nabuh Energy is now responsible for Avid Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Nabuh Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy are responsible for Avro Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Beam Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas are responsible for Better Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We are connecting you to your supplier's website. They will take your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Breeze customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that SSE is now responsible for Brilliant Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with SSE who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas are responsible for Bristol Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

You can continue your smart meter journey at your supplier's website. They will take your request forward.

We believe that British Gas are responsible for British Gas Evolve customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy are responsible for Bulb customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that SSE are responsible for Cardiff Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with SSE who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for CitizEn Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Shell Energy are responsible for Colorado Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Shell Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

You can continue your smart meter journey at your supplier's website. They will take your request forward.

We believe that Scottish Power is now responsible for Daisy Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Scottish Power who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

You can continue your smart meter journey at your supplier's website. They will take your request forward.

Eon have informed us that Eon Next are responsible for smart meter installations, so you'll be redirected there.

We are redirecting you to the E.ON Next smart meter webpage. You can continue your smart meter journey at their website. They will take your request forward.

We believe that OVO Energy are responsible for Economy Energy credit customers. Therefore we are connecting you with OVO Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward. If you are a prepay customer you will need to visit Boost Energy at www.boostpower.co.uk/smart-meters. They will be responsible for taking you request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy is now responsible for Engie customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that E.ON Next is now responsible for Enstroga customers. Therefore we will connect you with E.ON Next who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that So Energy is now responsible for ESB customers. Therefore we are connecting you with So Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Utilita is now responsible for Eversmart customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Utilita who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Scottish Power is now responsible for Extra Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with Scottish Power who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Shell Energy Retail is now responsible for First Utility customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Shell Energy Retail who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We don't currently have information from your energy supplier regarding their bookings for smart meters, but we will connect you to their website so you can contact them directly.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Fosse Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

You can continue your smart meter journey at your supplier's website. They will take your request forward.

We believe that Green Star Energy is now responsible for Future Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Green Star Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy is now responsible for Gen4U customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We don't currently have information from your energy supplier regarding their bookings for smart meters, but we will connect you to their website so you can contact them directly.

We believe that Bulb Energy is now responsible for GnErgy customers. Therefore we will connect you with Bulb who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We don't currently have information from your energy supplier regarding their bookings for smart meters, but we will connect you to their website so you can contact them directly.

We believe that Shell Energy is now responsible for Goto Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with Shell energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Great North Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Shell Energy is now responsible for Green Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with Shell energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that EDF Energy is now responsible for Green Network Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with EDF Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy is now responsible for Green Star Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that E.ON Next is now responsible for Hub Energy customers (formerly Gulf Gas and Power). Therefore we will connect you with E.ON Next who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

If you would like a smart meter installed, please get in touch with Homeshift using the contact number on your latest energy bill.

We believe that E.ON Next is now responsible for Hub Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with E.ON Next who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that E.ON Next is now responsible for Igloo Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with E.ON Next who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy is now responsible for Iresa customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that EDF Energy is now responsible for iSupply Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with EDF Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We don't currently have information from your energy supplier regarding their bookings for smart meters, but we will connect you to their website so you can contact them directly.

We believe that OVO Energy is now responsible for Lumo customers. Therefore we are connecting you with OVO Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We don't currently have information from your energy supplier regarding their bookings for smart meters, but we will connect you to their website so you can contact them directly.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for MoneyPlus Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Nabuh Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Neon Reef Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that E.ON is now responsible for Npower Select customers. Therefore we will connect you with E.ON who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that E.ON Next is now responsible for Npower Select customers. Therefore we will connect you with E.ON Next who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Utilita are responsible for Omni Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you to Utilita who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We beleive that Scottish Power is now responsible for Orbit Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with Scottish Power who will be responsible with taking your request forward.

We believe that Utilita is now responsible for Our Power customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Utilita who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for People's Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for PFP Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that E.ON Next is now responsible for Powershop customers. Therefore we will connect you with E.ON Next who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Shell Energy is now responsible for Pure Planet customers. Therefore we will connect you with Shell Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy is now responsible for Qwest Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Ram Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Robin Hood Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

You can continue your smart meter journey at your supplier's website. They will take your request forward.

Scottish Gas have told us that British Gas is responsible for providing smart meters on their behalf. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

Scottish Hydro have told us that SSE is responsible for providing smart meters on their behalf. Therefore we are connecting you with SSE who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy is now responsible for Shell Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward. If you are a former Shell customer and haven't seen an email from Octopus, please get in touch with them.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Simplicity Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that SSE is now responsible for Spark Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with SSE who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Southend Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Nabuh Energy is now responsible for Snowdrop Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Nabuh Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Social Energy customers. Therefore we will connect you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We don't currently have information from your energy supplier regarding their bookings for smart meters, but we will connect you to their website so you can contact them directly.

We believe that EDF are responsible for Solarplicity customers. Therefore we are connecting you with EDF who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

Swalec have told us that SSE is responsible for providing smart meters on their behalf. Therefore we are connecting you with SSE who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

Symbio Energy have told us that E.ON NEXT is responsible for providing smart meters on their behalf. Therefore we will connect you with E.ON NEXT who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for The Leccy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas are responsible for Together Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Scottish Power is now responsible for Tonik Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Scottish Power who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that EDF Energy are responsible for Toto Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with EDF Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Octopus Energy are responsible for UKEIH customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Octopus Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that Shell Energy Retail is now responsible for Usio Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Shell Energy Retail who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that EDF Energy is now responsible for Utility Point customers. Therefore we will connect you with EDF Energy who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that E.ON are responsible for Wasp Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with E.ON who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for White Rose Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that E.ON are responsible for Wigan Warriors Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with E.ON who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We beleive that Scottish Power is now responsible for Yorkshire Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with Scottish Power who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Your Energy Sussex customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that British Gas is now responsible for Zebra Power customers. Therefore we are connecting you with British Gas who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

We believe that EDF is now responsible for Zog Energy customers. Therefore we are connecting you with EDF who will be responsible for taking your request forward.

Smart meter tariffs: which tariffs do you need a smart meter for?

All new flexible time-of-use tariffs require a smart meter to access all the benefits. This includes off-peak tariffs and electric vehicle tariffs. Some suppliers also offer cheaper fixed rate tariffs only to customers with smart meters.

But it’s important to know that you do not have to change tariff if you get a smart meter. It’s your choice which tariff you use.

Time-of-use tariffs won’t be appropriate for all consumers and there will always be some people that will need to use energy at certain times.

What types of time-of-use tariffs are there?

There are two main types of smart time-of-use tariffs: static and dynamic.

A static time-of-use tariff offers two or more rates for electricity at fixed times of the day. For example, a lower price during the day and overnight as compared to weekday evenings. Examples of static time-of-use tariffs include Economy 7 tariffs, which charge a cheaper rate for electricity for 7 hours a day, usually at night, and most EV charging tariffs.
A dynamic time-of-use tariff offers a different price per unit of energy depending on the time of day. The times and rates can change from day to day. For example, the price may depend on the amount of wind power that is predicted for a particular time.

These are both different to a standard tariff, which charges a flat rate throughout the day. The standard tariff is the most common tariff type in England, Scotland and Wales.

What are off-peak tariffs?

Off-peak tariffs are a type of time-of-use tariff. With these tariffs, you’ll be charged less for using energy at off-peak times, when there is less demand for energy. Such as at night, or when there is a lot of energy being generated, for example on very windy or sunny days.

Electric vehicle tariffs

Electric vehicle (EV) tariffs are another type of time-of-use tariffs. With electric vehicle tariffs, it is typically cheaper to use energy at night. This means that electric vehicle owners can charge their cars for less when they are less likely to be driving them.

What are the benefits of time-of-use tariffs?

Time-of-use tariffs can help you save money if you are able to use less energy when demand for energy is high. When demand for energy is high, more people want to use energy. This means energy is more expensive because we need to rely on fossil fuels to ensure everyone can use electricity at the same time.

You could also save money if you use energy when there is more renewable energy being generated. For example, when there are strong winds across the country. Energy is cheaper when there is a lot of solar and wind power available, and more expensive when diesel-powered generators (which burn fossil fuels) are used.

With a time-of-use tariff, if you can be flexible with how and when you use energy, you could save money on your bills.

But that isn’t all…

Choosing a smart time-of-use tariff will help our energy system become greener because it encourages you to use energy when there is less demand. For example, later in the evening or on weekends. So, we can use more renewable energy across the day to make our system cleaner and greener.