In our home, we have what is called a “Time of Use Tariff”. That means that we have a Peak Tariff during the day from 7 am to 7 pm, and then a cheaper tariff called an Off-Peak Tariff that is applied from 11 pm to 7 am. The Off-Peak Tariff also applies to the weekend.

During the day on a weekday, a kilowatt-hour of power costs us about 25 cents, whereas during the night and the weekend it only costs about 15 cents. By using electricity during the off-peak times you are able to save some money.

You may have different tariffs called “Controlled Load” where the Off-Peak Tariffs only applying to electric hot water. In that case, the lower tariffs are applied to the hot water usage whereas other usage is at a higher rate.

Last but not least, when you have solar panels and they are in the sun and you use an appliance, the usage will not be added on the energy bill because the electricity is coming from the solar panels. In this case, you may have spare capacity, meaning the electricity will be added to the grid and you will be paid by your electricity retailer.