Worked examples

Cheap-rate appliance shifting examples

Eight distinct household-use profiles showing how savings depend on appliance energy shifted into a cheaper tariff window.

All worked examples

Very light use177 kWh/year shiftable in the example · ~£39/yr at a 22p/kWh spread

Light-use household369 kWh/year shiftable in the example · ~£81/yr at a 22p/kWh spread

Couple / moderate laundry562 kWh/year shiftable in the example · ~£124/yr at a 22p/kWh spread

Family example754 kWh/year shiftable in the example · ~£166/yr at a 22p/kWh spread

Family without tumble dryer478 kWh/year shiftable in the example · ~£105/yr at a 22p/kWh spread

Heavy laundry example1,139 kWh/year shiftable in the example · ~£251/yr at a 22p/kWh spread

Large family1,212 kWh/year shiftable in the example · ~£267/yr at a 22p/kWh spread

High appliance use1,612 kWh/year shiftable in the example · ~£355/yr at a 22p/kWh spread

Open the cheap-rate appliance scheduler

Which loads are easiest to move to a cheap period?

The household profiles above show why the value of a cheap-rate window depends on behaviour as much as the tariff itself. Flexible loads such as EV charging, dishwashers, washing machines and some tumble-dryer cycles can often be moved without changing total energy use. Continuous or comfort-critical loads are much harder to shift.

The largest savings usually come from moving high-energy loads that already need to run, rather than adding consumption simply because electricity is cheaper. Timer controls can help, but appliance safety guidance still applies and some devices should not be left running unattended.

Compare the whole tariff

A cheaper overnight rate can be offset by a higher daytime rate. Enter both prices and estimate how much household consumption can genuinely move into the cheap window. If only a small share can shift, a standard single-rate tariff may still be competitive. The scheduler is designed to expose that trade-off rather than assume an EV or battery automatically makes a time-of-use tariff cheaper.

Inputs on these pages are illustrative. Replace them with your own tariff, product, quote or household figures in the linked calculator before making a decision.