Make the most of off-peak electricity
Off-peak electricity can be a bit to get your head around. If you have a smart meter, and you're on a plan with a time of use (TOU) tariff, then it's worth learning ways to take advantage of power when it's cheaper.
Taking advantage of off-peak electricity
Electricity costs can make up a significant part of household costs. Many customers are looking for ways to better manage their power usage and electricity cost. Once you've looked at plans, and found a good energy offer, if you have a smart meter, one clever strategy is to take advantage of off-peak electricity. Australia is moving towards smart meters in all homes. Understanding how to use off-peak hours effectively can help you lower your energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint. Let's have a look at what off-peak electricity is, how it works, and how you can make the most of it.
If you’ve read this piece on understanding gas and electricity cost you’d know that at times when there is less demand for electricity across the grid. Before people wake up and put the kettle on in the morning, and when everyone has gone to bed at night, there is much less electricity being used. It also dips during the day after many people have left for work and school. These periods are off-peak. However, energy usage ramps right up again once people get home. When TVs go on and so do computers, washing machines, dishwashers and cooktops, that’s peak electricity and when there is the most demand on the grid. For Powershop customers, our off-peak hours are from X till Y.
Tips to help lower your electricity costs
You can reduce your energy cost without reducing your usage if you take advantage of timing. Here are some things you can do.
1. Put your appliances to work during off-peak hours.
Sometimes life dictates when things get done. Where you can though, shifting energy-intensive jobs like using dishwashers and washing machines to off peak times can make a significant difference. Running these energy hungry appliances at night can make an impact on energy costs over time.
2. Smart water heating.
One of the biggest consumers of energy in your home can be your hot water system. Having a smart timer installed on your system means you use energy to heat up the water during off peak times (when it’s cheaper) and use that hot water whenever it suits you. This means there is less demand on the grid for power at peak times, but you still have hot water ready to go when you want.
What about me?
Many customers are looking for ways to better manage their power usage and electricity costs. To see if you could be using off-peak power, you first need to check if your address could be on a time of use plan.
3. Smart thermostats.
Having a programmable thermostat means you can set your heating or cooling system to run during off peak times. You can program it so that your home is comfortable when you wake up, having taken advantage of off-peak rates over night. Similarly, you can return home at the end of a hot day to a home that is comfortably cool having used off peak power daytime hours.
4. Smart timers for everything.
Smart timers and smart plugs give you the ability to control when a specific appliance turns on or off. If you set up these devices to power your electrical goods during off-peak periods, it is a way of ensuring that energy gets consumed when it is most cost-effective.
5. Pool pumps.
If your home has a pool, the pump for your pool will be one of the most significant consumers of energy. By programming your pool pump to operate through off-peak hours, it can have a beneficial impact on your energy bill. Having a smart pool pump controller can enable this automatically, so it’s a set and forget process.
6. Check your star sign - efficient appliances.
The energy star rating system gives a good indication of how your appliances compare for energy consumption relative to the competition. Since appliances can add up to around 30% of your overall usage, having more efficient devices will help to cut down how much energy you use. Technically, efficient appliances will help whether you’ve got a smart meter or not, but when combined with off-peak usage can really help bring energy costs down.
Overall, by planning your energy use to take advantage of off-peak hours, you can reduce your energy costs while maintaining the same level of comfort and convenience in your home. Just some small adjustments in schedule can have a noticeable result in savings.