Economy 7 / 7am cheap rate

QrizB

@Scot_39 are you sure about that tariff? The peak seems rather cheap? I can't find the current tariff table but this one from Jan 2026 has peak tariffs in the 30s?

Fundamentally, though, if the OP already has E7 then changing supplier isn't going to change their E7 hours.

If the OP doesn't have E7, most likely because they don't have storage heaters, then they're going to have to use 40% or more of their daily electricity on the E7 rate otherwise it'll end up costing them money rather than saving.

Scot_39

@QrizB

I think this is their normal rates tables - there used to be a dm1904 ? for e10 and e2020 as well but cannot find that anymore.

https://www.edfenergy.com/sites/default/files/2026-03/DM1903-STANDARD-VARIABLE-DEEMED-AND-WELCOME-APR26-RATES.pdf

53.607p 23.673p 53.046p 28.632p 13.320p

I didnt scan the whole table - was just looking for a big 6 E7 (as opposed to a really aggressive "challenger") balance - being lazy - but there are 2 other regions sub 29p and one just over.

And doing the maths for showers - plural.

Ildhund

(28.632 - 23.673) / (28.632 - 13.320) = 32.4%, a long way from Ofgem's 42% required minimum offpeak/total ratio for economy.

For those who can't be bothered to do the sums, this means that EDF and other suppliers with similar offerings are being nice to customers.

Scot_39

To be fair - apart from many years ago when used to crunch the numbers for EOn Next - Ive found that they now often divert from the 42% nominal - so have often used 35% if not in fact even 30% - as a lower range for necessary balance in some of my historic posts - possibly even seasonally - but 32.4% is on the low side.

Quite often in past here in EM anyway - the difference in SR vs PC2 average (cap full-cap nil kW SC)/3400 has jumped around 1-2p+ in some cap updates.

The 42% - is still Ofgems assumption though on pricing of the total cost for the PC2 cap - and in 2023 IIRC it consulted on reducing it to 40%.

I'll need to dig out this years review - to see if it moved this year - no it stayed at 42%

Outcome

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-05/Review%20of%20typical%20domestic%20consumption%20values%20decision.pdf

Background consultation

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-03/Review%20of%20typical%20domestic%20consumption%20values%20consultation.pdf

johnweir123

I worked it out to be about £0.50p a day for an average shower but that was before the recent price hikes after Ukraine so probably costs more now. If two of us shower during the peak rate that's at least a pound a day. £30 a month. If we could shift that usage out of peak rate we'd be saving quite a bit.

My original question was which supplier and which tariff to find a off-peak which ends at a reasonable time in the morning. Currently I'm on Octopus Go with 29.06p day rate, 8.10p night rate which ends at 5:30am and 65.09p standing charge.

In 2021 when I was a Bulb customer I was on a single rate at 14.56p with a standing charge of 17.85p

Then I changed to a dual rate of 18.4/5.4 and 19.95p standing charge - the night rate ended at 6am from memory.

Newbie_John

Ocotpus Cosy with cheap rate 4-7, 13-16, 22-0?

I use 13-16 to cook lunch and dinner as well. 4-7 shower/brekfaakfast .

No GMT variations, same rates through a yeryear.

QrizB

> Then I changed to a dual rate of 18.4/5.4 and 19.95p standing charge - the night rate ended at 6am from memory.

If those are the E7 times programmed into your meter, those are the times that other suppliers will use for E7.

So E7 is probably off the cards. You look to need a smart tariff of some sort, unless you're willing to move house.

EssexHebridean

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82010255#Comment_82010255

We used to manage this for half the year - when our switch happened at roughly 0715, For the other half of the year though that switch was at 0615 and yes, was just too early. This underlines the point though, although the timings are useful when they work, you can't 100% live your life around things happening at either end of E7 timings!

johnweir123

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82029679#Comment_82029679

We've had both 5:30am (current) and 6am (previous). As it's a smart meter they should be able to do anything with it. As mentioned above the Octopus Cosy tariff is all over the place with timings so it's not hard baked into my meter.

EssexHebridean

As already explained though, the E7 timings aren’t limited by any restrictions in the meter, it’s set timings which can’t be adjusted for individuals to suit their requirements - otherwise let’s be honest, everyone would want their cheap times at a time that would defeat the object!

There are huge numbers of smart tariffs out there with varying times and price points - but what there isn’t, and I suspect never will be, is the ability to build a bespoke tariff with all the timing advantages AND all the price advantages. The whole point of the reduced prices is that they tend to fall at less popular times - it is being willing to make the sacrifice of load shifting that “earns” the reduction in unit rate.