A major UK energy supplier is urging households to make four simple changes at home to help lower their energy bills.
OVO Energy, which serves around four million UK homes, says households can cut down on costs by using energy at greener times of the day. According to the firm, the peak hours for electricity use are currently between 5pm and 7pm from Monday to Friday, when demand on the grid is at its highest. It means that if you’re using home appliances like the oven, washing machine or dishwasher during these hours then you’ll likely pay more.
As such, households are encouraged to switch their energy usage to quieter times of the day when demand on the grid is lower, as this will not only be cheaper but it’s also better for the plant.
OVO says: “At peak times, there’s more demand for energy. So it’s harder for the UK to run on renewable power alone. If people use energy at off-peak hours instead, our country shouldn’t need to rely on fossil fuels as much.”
OVO is encouraging customers to cut their energy costs by using energy at off-peak times and suggests the following four simple home changes to lower your peak electricity usage to save money:
- preparing meals ahead of time
- setting the washing machine or dishwasher to run in the morning
- turning off plug sockets when not in use
- charging large devices outside of peak times
Households are urged not to turn off any essential power in their home to try and cut costs, and should avoid leaving washing machines, tumble dryers, or dishwashers running overnight or while you’re out.
Energy companies typically charge more per unit of electricity during peak hours, so you’re better off waiting to use appliances at quieter times of the day, either late at night or early in the morning. By using appliances outside of peak periods, you can take advantage of cheaper energy rates if you’re on an ‘agile tariff’.
These tariffs automatically increase and decrease based on energy usage patterns, so if you can switch your usage to off-peak hours, you can make big savings, as energy prices are lower at these times of day. Energy companies offer such tariffs to encourage people to cut their usage during peak times, thereby lowering demand on the grid and helping it run more smoothly.
Many UK energy suppliers also offer Time-of-Use (TOU) tariffs to customers which means that energy prices drop late at night, making it an ideal time to run power-hungry appliances. Before 7am also falls within off-peak hours so putting an early wash on is another good way to cut energy costs.
But off-peak hours can vary across suppliers, so it’s worth checking on your energy provider’s website when these hours are, and remember, if you’re not on an agile tariff, then these dynamic time price changes won’t affect you. You can check with your supplier to make sure you know what tariff you’re on and how it works.
The advice comes as energy bills are set to rise for thousands of UK households from April as Ofgem increases its price cap for the third time in a row.
The price cap will rise by 6.4% on April 1, raising the average bill for households in England, Scotland, and Wales on a standard variable tariff from £1,738 per year to £1,849.
The increase equates to an extra £111 per year for an average household, or around £9.25 more per month, over the three months of the price cap.
Of course, households should be aware that the price cap sets the maximum rate per unit and standing charge that suppliers can charge customers for their energy use. However, it is not the total bill, so if you use more energy, you will pay more.
