Best energy tariff for weekends

Catmaspudding

I have just moved into a house and am looking for the best dual fuel tariff. I work away during the week - so most of the time I am only home on weekends/holidays.

I heard there were tariffs with cheaper evening/weekend energy - do these still exist? I assume I am looking for a cheap day rate, with a high unit cost?

I don't know my energy usage yet, so it is hard to compare!

JJ_Egan

Use average to compare all the comparison sites have them and will estimate.
Why dual fuel ?? its not always cheapest .

Neil_Jones

There was a British Gas tariff that did this, provided effectively free energy between I think it was 9-5 on weekends, but the unit rates outside of this period were higher to compensate.

You'd probably do better with any other regular tariff in all honesty or maybe a tariff with no standing charge and that way you only pay for what you use. Remember just because you're not there there are still things that need to be on like the fridge and freezer for example so you won't be totally energy less unless you live in a cave or something.

Jump on the energy club and use your previous usage from your old home and it won't be too far away.

Catmaspudding

Thanks - I haven't paid energy bill before so I can't guess at my usage - this is my first house.

I will look at general use cases

Robin9

Typical house 3000 kwh for electric and 10000 kwh for gas. For your situation perhaps 2000 and 6000. Its a bit of a guess and it may need an actual year before you get a proper picture.

Don't forget the DD the suppliers come up with are also a guesstimate and are not cast in stone - what matters is your actual consumption. Get into the habit of reading meters at least monthly and keep your own records.

The school of thought these days is that you shouldn't have dual fuel but different suppliers for elec and gas.

Jonesya

I've not seen any tariffs with a specific weekday / weekend rate, but there are a few time of use tariffs out there which have lower prices during off-peak and overnight. But... it's not a free lunch, while the off-peak and overnight is cheaper, peak-time charges, typically 4PM-7PM are quite a bit higher.

So if you're cooking on electric, or running appliances between 4-7PM, could be expensive, unless you can shift that to off-peak.

Bulb Labs - TOU trial:
https://bulb.co.uk/smart/

Octopus Agile - like a market priced tariff, with half-hourly prices, so very cost reflective and cheaper off-peak, most times of the weekend, on average, but not a simple, fixed tariff with set rates: You need to research it to understand how it works and whether it works for you:
https://octopus.energy/agile/

[Deleted User]

Neil_Jones wrote: »

There was a British Gas tariff that did this, provided effectively free energy between I think it was 9-5 on weekends, but the unit rates outside of this period were higher to compensate.

You'd probably do better with any other regular tariff in all honesty or maybe a tariff with no standing charge and that way you only pay for what you use. Remember just because you're not there there are still things that need to be on like the fridge and freezer for example so you won't be totally energy less unless you live in a cave or something.

Jump on the energy club and use your previous usage from your old home and it won't be too far away.

This tariff was only available to BG customers who preferred the standard/variable rates which approx 60% of their customers were on anyway.Also needed to have a smart meter installed ,preferably by BG to ensure the meters were compatible.

Thomas_Edison

BG were made to end the free weekend tariff as it was messing up industry procedures.

Generally it was a bad deal all round as people would have saved more money on a tariff with better rates

nigelbb

Thomas_Edison wrote: »

BG were made to end the free weekend tariff as it was messing up industry procedures.

Generally it was a bad deal all round as people would have saved more money on a tariff with better rates

It must have been a very good deal for those with a second holiday home where they spend weekends.

[Deleted User]

It wasn't a good deal as the 8 free hours on one weekend day where only discounted as a proportion of your bill. They looked at the total weekly usage for each property and refused to give free energy if it looked like you were gaming the system.