When is off-peak electricity?

Start by checking your bill. A single-rate plan charges the same usage rate throughout the day. A time-of-use plan has different pricing periods. “Controlled load” usually refers to a separate supply arrangement for particular appliances, such as hot water.

Is off-peak always the cheapest option?

If you have rooftop solar, using electricity while the system is producing a surplus may cost less than waiting for an overnight rate.

There is still a trade-off. Electricity sent to an appliance cannot also earn a feed-in credit. That lost credit is the cost to consider when comparing solar use with buying power later.

For example, using 10 kWh of otherwise-exported solar would forgo 50 cents at an illustrative feed-in rate of 5 cents per kWh. Buying 10 kWh overnight at an illustrative 12 cents per kWh would cost $1.20. In that example, using the solar surplus is cheaper.

The calculation changes if your feed-in rate is higher, the appliance needs more power than the solar surplus can supply, or the alternative grid period is free. Check the actual numbers on your plan rather than assuming every daytime use is covered by solar.

Check the off-peak hours and the clock

Tariff times vary between plans and locations. If your tariff uses AEST through daylight saving, its clock can be an hour behind your household clock.

Our smart-meter pricing information (opens in a new tab) explains that Evoenergy’s tariff times remain on Australian Eastern Standard Time, or AEST, during daylight saving. A period starting at midnight AEST therefore starts at 1 am on the local daylight-saving clock. Check how your car or appliance scheduler handles that difference.

Offer details checked 13 October 2026: eligible NSW households can opt into the Solar Sharer Offer. Its free period is 11 am to 2 pm local time, with the first 24 kWh in that period free. A smart meter is required; embedded-network customers are excluded. Supply and controlled-load charges still apply.

An existing controlled-load hot-water circuit does not automatically gain access to a plan’s general free-power period. Check the circuit and tariff before changing a timer.

Compare the whole household bill

A low rate for a few hours is useful only if you can move enough electricity into that period. Check when the car is parked, when hot water is needed and which routines can comfortably change. Also price the cooking, heating and other use that stays outside the window.

If the plan includes demand charges, ask how the measurement is calculated. A plan using the highest demand interval can be affected by one busy period with several large appliances running together. Other plans use different calculations, so follow your own written rules.

Compare our available plans (opens in a new tab) for your address, and use Energy Made Easy (opens in a new tab) if you want an estimate across retailers. Use your household’s usage and check the meter requirements before deciding to change plans.

Start with one task you can move comfortably. Work out the electricity it uses and the difference between the two rates, then check whether changing plans would alter the rest of your annual bill. A useful schedule should fit your day as well as your tariff.

If you want to charge a battery in a cheaper period, include the energy lost between charging and use. Delivering 1 kWh at an assumed 90% whole-cycle efficiency needs about 1.11 kWh bought earlier. Price that input, then compare it with the later import avoided. A low charging rate alone does not show the annual value.

Related advice: When is the cheapest time to charge an electric car? · Could your home choose when to use energy?

Let’s confirm the hours for your home

Start with our pricing information (opens in a new tab) for ActewAGL smart-meter plans, or compare our available plans (opens in a new tab) if you’re considering a change. If you’re with another retailer, use the timetable and clock convention for your own plan before changing a timer.

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