In a market where the cost of energy bills seems to be constantly increasing, many people are trying to find ways to lower their monthly bills and become more energy efficient. This is especially a problem in the UK, where energy bills are among some of the highest in Europe. One of the biggest problems that residents face however, is not being entirely sure what energy they are paying for and why they are paying for it, which can cause people to be faced with unnecessarily high bills.
After receiving the same energy bills month in and month out, we start to become accustomed to the same costs and take them at face value. As we look towards further increases in the cost of energy, it is important that we find new ways to cut costs now rather than later. One of the best ways to start is with electricity bills, with questions like ‘when is electricity most expensive?’ opening the door to many tips that can be utilised to save considerable money on monthly bills.
The common thought is that electricity costs the same no matter when we use it, and that isn’t the case with many tariffs charging a flat rate despite electricity being cheaper at certain times. Many households continue to use electricity throughout day and night, none the wiser to how it is costing them more, and how they could cut down on their costs. The same applies to electronics, with certain electronics costing households a fortune without them even knowing. If you’re wondering when is electricity most expensive, then now is definitely the right time to find out when electricity can be the least expensive.

The difference between peak and off-peak electricity

Like most industries providing services, the national grid has peak times where usage is at the highest levels and off-peak times where the usage is low. Using electricity during peak times of the day puts a lot of strain on the national grid, while opting for primary usage of energy during off-peak times relieves the stress. The national grid service is pushing further for the introduction of a more flexible grid and a higher flexibility in the tariffs that energy companies provide, to try and even out the energy usage and avoid excessive use during the peak periods.
Some people may be accustomed to certain energy tariffs that take into account the times of the day when people use energy and reducing costs in return. While many tariffs use the same standard costs for any time of the day, there are considerable savings to be made by looking at when is electricity most expensive in relation to the peak and off-peak times. With claims that changing to tariffs who charge for when you use electricity enabling you to save up to £60 a year on electricity bills, they could be a prime way to avoid increasing energy bills.
Many of the electricity providers that provide off-peak and peak costings view off-peak times as between 10pm and 8:30am, with some changes between providers. Choosing to charge devices, run the washing machine and hoover the house between these hours instead of during the middle of the day is one of the easiest ways to cut costs and start saving.

Eco-friendly energy and the costs

Another thing to consider when evaluating when is electricity most expensive are the different kinds of energy on the market and what else is available. Currently around 25% of the electricity used in the UK is made up of renewable energy sources; with the remaining percentage of energy use still coming from fossil fuels, nuclear reactors and imported energy.
Opting to pay for eco-friendly electricity doesn’t mean that your home will automatically get it, but does mean that your energy usage will be considered green with the amount of electricity you use being provided as green electricity to UK homes. With the government pushing for less of a reliance on unsustainable energy, there are a lot of potential benefits that can come with switching to an eco-friendlier electricity option.
There are many different energy providers on the market that are able to offer eco-friendly electricity and tariffs to suit different sizes of home and occupant level. While green energy is not consistently cheaper than unsustainable energy, there are a lot of deals available and incentives to those who wish to switch to a greener option. In extension to the cost saving possibilities, switching to energy that is solar panel or wind turbine based can be much less taxing on the environment and our individual footprints.

How electronics influence electricity usage

When an electronic device is in use, it is generally using the most amount of electricity and subsequently costing the most in terms of electricity use. However, as soon as the device is put down or switched to standby, it is still consuming high levels of electricity, all the while sending electricity bills soaring upwards.
It is estimated that between 9% and 16% of the energy we use in our homes is being used by electronics that are left on standby, costing us money without any benefits. The price is also dependent on the type of electronic device, while it isn’t possible to turn our fridges off to save money; TV screens, computer monitors and phones or devices left on charge, are all big contributors to wasted electricity, making it more expensive for you every month.
Along with turning devices off standby, there is also a big opportunity to cut costs with the type of devices and the age of devices being used. Many people don’t realise that electricity can be more expensive when running older models than it can be running newer models, and by a significant amount. Older devices can use more watts per hour than newer devices, making the electricity use per hour go up in price considerably. This gap can also be seen between different brands and styles of the same product, with electronics released in the same year by different companies seeing substantial variation in the costs it takes to run them.

Saving money with energy-saving devices

Electricity use can be considered significantly more expensive when it isn’t being monitored and one of the easiest ways to cut down costs and make your home more efficient is by investing in electricity saving devices, for your house, workplace and even those for when you travel. While there have been many trends towards electricity and energy saving gadgets over the years, with the recent shifts in increased energy bills and a future that looks to follow the same path, significant investment has been placed in designing efficient devices for everyday use.
One of the most popular styles of product for reducing the price of electricity usage is remotely controllable plug sockets and extension cables. With the devices easily added to existing sockets, they can be controlled via app or some by remote, allowing many devices to be switched off without even being near them.
There are also devices that allow timers to be set, so that sockets will switch off at set times of the day, ensuring that you never need to worry about forgetting to turn things off again. As a long-term investment to reduce electricity usage, opting for devices on those electronics that use the most electricity can really help to shave pounds off your bills every month.

Changing provider and cheaper electricity bills

One of the most important examples of when is electricity most expensive, is when you’re on the worst tariff for your electricity requirements. Every home uses a different amount of electricity and so in accordance to that, every home should be paying a different amount each month. Many of the standardised tariffs on the market don’t really take into account what you are using as opposed to what everybody else is using. Staying on a tariff that doesn’t suite you is a sure fire way to experience first-hand when electricity is the most expensive.
Adjusting your tariff to fit your needs and your families use can shave a large amount of money off your bill each and every month, and it’s a lot easier and substantially quicker than what most people think it is. Websites like My Energy, provide access to the biggest and best energy providers in the UK, which brings with it the option for you to find the best deals on the market that can make your electricity a lot less expensive.
You can compare rates for switching to green eco-friendly electricity or find the newest tariffs on the market than are able to offer you an electricity price difference for using energy at peak times and off-peak times. Saving money on electricity only takes a couple of minutes, when you compare what is on the market, it is one of the quickest ways to reduce your costs now as opposed to later. Instead of wondering when electricity is most expensive, you can make steps to assure that your energy is the least expensive.