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Wiser Explains: What is a Time-of-use Energy Tariff? And How Can Smart Heating Help You Take Full Advantage?

If you’re taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint and your impact on the environment, there’s no better pairing than an eco-conscious energy provider and an efficient controls system to manage that energy within your home.

But green energy must be cost-effective, and finding the right tariff for you will ensure your good intentions serve you and the planet. One way you can reduce your energy spend is to opt for a time-of use tariff.

 

What is a Time Of Use Tariff?

In a nutshell, having a time-of-use energy tariff means the cost of your energy will change depending on the time of day and season, in response to energy demand across the grid. Energy will cost more during peak periods, and less during off-peak periods.

Peak periods

These are times of the day where the most energy is used, like mornings when households across the country are getting ready for the day, and evenings when dinner is cooking, placing high demand on the grid. Energy generated by renewable sources – like wind power – are unable to meet this high demand, so more energy must be supplied by fossil fuels.

To spread out the distribution of energy demand, protect the grid from being overwhelmed, and encourage households to utilise more green energy, many suppliers raise energy prices during peak times.

Off-peak periods

During off-peak periods – like during the night – there’s less demand on the grid and energy demand is more likely to be met by renewable sources. Some energy suppliers offer time-of-use tariffs to incentivise households to shift their energy use towards off-peak periods by lowering energy prices during these times.

Using energy during off-peak periods is better for the environment as it reduces the demand for energy generated by fossil-fuels.

You can learn more with the Energy Saving Trust's guide to time-of-use tariffs.

 

Which Green Energy Suppliers Offer Time-of-Use Tariffs?

We’ve partnered with 100Green, the UK’s only supplier of 100% green gas and renewable electricity. 100Green offers a variety of tariffs, and they can so do by offering smart time-of use energy tariffs to their customers.

100Green’s new Tide tariff shows you exactly when its peak and off-peak times fall, so you can plan your energy use around the cheapest energy prices to reduce both your bills and your carbon footprint.

For example, 100Green advises their customers to take advantage of their cheapest energy rates between midnight and 7am and avoid using the majority of their energy during their peak time of 4-8pm.

 

How to Take Advantage of Time-of-Use Cheap Energy Rates

Our 6 tips will help you make the most of cheaper energy rates offered by time-of-use energy tariffs:

  • You’ll need a smart meter – some energy providers will require you to have the now commonplace model known as the SMETs2 smart meter.
  • If you have an electric vehicle (EV), charge it during the night – many EVs have a setting to only let it start charging after a specified time.
  • Use delayed start settings on your washing machine and dishwasher so that they run during the night when energy is at its cheapest.
  • Use smart heating controls like Wiser to tailor schedules around the cheapest rates, and use app control to manage your heating and smart plugs even when you’re not home.
  • If you have smart plugs, edit their schedules so they turn unused devices off standby during peak times – any controlled via apps, like the Wiser Plug, are easy to switch back on when needed.
  • Run your slow cooker overnight to save both time and energy, with your next day's meal ready to reheat ahead of time.

 

How do you choose a smart heating system?

Once you’ve carefully chosen your energy supplier and tariff option, your chances to maximise efficiency don’t end there. How you manage that energy in your home is crucial to keeping annual costs down, and smart heating systems make it easier than ever. Consider what you want out of a smart heating system when pairing it with your new time-of-use tariff:

Multi-room control

Choose a smart system that delivers multi-room heating and you won’t have to waste energy heating rooms not in use. You’ll be able to schedule individual radiator thermostats to suit your lifestyle and only heat those areas when they’re in use.

Future-ready systems

Many smart heating systems are compatible with future low carbon heating technologies, like heat pumps. But some go further and are ready for a wider range home energy management integrations that provide smart monitoring of more areas of your home.

App control makes it easy

If all the extra features of smart heating systems feels daunting, the good news is the app interfaces of smart heating systems are normally easy to use and put you in full control. Some systems also offer visual displays of your energy use to help you see where you use the most energy.

 

What Makes Smart Heating by Wiser a Great Partner for 100Green’s Tide Time-of-use Tariff?

Wiser offers the full package in its range of core smart heating kits to suit practically any home and existing heating system:

  • Multi-room heating – Our award-winning smart radiator thermostats provide smart multi-room heating, with the ability to tailor schedules for each room and radiator so you only need to heat that room when it’s needed, which alone has been shown to reduce annual bills by 18%1. 
  • Future-proof – Wiser’s expandable system grows with you, and with more home energy management products on the way to monitor everything from water pipe leaks to smoke detection and open windows.
  • Heat pump compatible – The UK is expected to be one of the largest markets for heat pumps by the end of the decade2, so we’ve ensured that Wiser is ready for this transition with heat pump settings.
  • Visual displays – Access Insights and the Heat Report via the app interface to see exactly what your energy is being used, helping you to better tailor your schedules.
  • Smart Modes – Wiser comes with three meticulously-designed Smart Modes designed to maximise efficiency and comfort, with proven energy savings1.

Use the Wiser Product Selector now to find the right kit for your home in seconds.

 

 

1 https://wiser.draytoncontrols.co.uk/save-energy-and-money-better-control

2 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...