Posts tagged #time-of-use

Guides, analysis and updates on UK electricity tariffs for heat pump and EV households.

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Tariff comparisons

British Gas Heat Power explained: 10 hours of half-price electricity for heat pump owners

British Gas Heat Power gives heat pump households 10 hours of half-price electricity every day — seven overnight from midnight to 7am, and three more in the early afternoon from 1pm to 4pm. There's no peak rate. The standard rate applies for the remaining 14 hours. It's a simpler structure than Cosy Octopus and suits households that want meaningful cheap windows without managing a peak penalty.

· Ashley
Tariff comparisons

Cosy Octopus vs E.ON Next Pumped: which heat pump tariff wins in 2026?

Cosy Octopus and E.ON Next Pumped are the two most recommended heat pump tariffs in the UK right now. They take opposite approaches: Cosy concentrates deep discounts into 8 hours across three windows but charges a steep peak rate; Next Pumped spreads cheaper rates across 21 hours of the day with no extreme peak. Which one wins depends almost entirely on whether you can avoid those three peak hours.

· Ashley
Tariff comparisons

Economy 7 and heat pumps: why it usually isn't the right tariff in 2026

Economy 7 was designed for storage heaters and immersion tanks in the 1970s. Heat pumps are a different beast — they run throughout the day, not just overnight. That mismatch, combined with Economy 7's high daytime rate, means most heat pump households end up paying more on E7 than they would on a modern time-of-use tariff. Here's why — and the narrow cases where Economy 7 still makes sense.

· Ashley
Guides

How to load-shift with a heat pump: cut your electricity bill by £200–£400 a year

Time-of-use tariffs offer rates as low as 14–17p/kWh during off-peak windows — roughly half the standard cap rate of 24.7p. But you only capture those savings if your heat pump actually runs during the cheap hours. Load-shifting moves your heating and hot water consumption into those windows. Done well, it's worth £200–£400 a year on the right tariff. This guide explains how to do it, what controls you need, and what’s realistic without it becoming a hobby.

· Ashley
Guides

Heat pump hot water: when to heat your cylinder (and when not to)

Hot water is the easiest load to shift on a time-of-use tariff — and the most valuable. A 200-litre cylinder reheated during a cheap window at 14p/kWh instead of the 24.7p standard rate saves the cost difference on every single litre, every single day. This guide covers how heat pump hot water works differently from a boiler, why timing matters, and how to set a schedule that captures the saving without ever running out of hot water.

· Ashley