Off-Peak Electricity Australia: Times, Rates & How to Save
- Key Takeaways
- Why Do Electricity Prices Vary by Time of Day?
- What Is Off-Peak Electricity?
- When Is Off-Peak Electricity in Australia?
- Do You Actually Have Off-Peak Electricity?
- How to Check Your Exact Off-Peak Times
- How Much Cheaper Is Off-Peak Electricity?
- How to Use Off-Peak Electricity to Lower Your Bill
- How Battery Storage Can Make Better Use of Off-Peak Electricity
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Off-peak electricity is a lower electricity rate available during certain hours on some time-of-use plans. Overnight periods remain common, but some tariffs now make midday electricity cheaper because rooftop solar creates abundant daytime supply. This guide shows how to find your exact off-peak hours, compare rates and decide when shifting household energy use can save money.
Key Takeaways
Off-peak electricity times vary by retailer, plan, network area and meter setup, so state-level times can only serve as a general guide.
Single-rate plans do not change usage prices by time. Time-of-use plans and controlled-load tariffs follow different pricing structures.
The cheapest time to use electricity may fall overnight, around midday or in both periods, depending on your plan.
A time-of-use tariff can lower your bill when you can move enough electricity use away from expensive peak periods.
Why Do Electricity Prices Vary by Time of Day?
Electricity demand changes throughout the day. It usually picks up in the morning, then climbs again in the late afternoon and evening when more households are cooking, heating or cooling their homes and running appliances. On time-of-use plans, these busy periods can come with higher rates, with cheaper pricing available when demand drops.
Rooftop solar has changed that pattern in parts of Australia. Strong solar generation around midday can put more electricity into the grid at a time when household demand may be lower. Some networks and retailers now reflect this with cheaper midday pricing windows, adding another period that may count as off-peak electricity.
What Is Off-Peak Electricity?
Off-peak electricity refers to lower-priced usage periods on a time-of-use tariff. These tariffs divide the day into different pricing windows, usually peak and off-peak, with some plans also including a shoulder period.
Peak electricity: The highest-priced period, usually when household electricity demand is stronger. Peak hours often fall in the late afternoon or evening.
Shoulder electricity: A mid-priced period between peak and off-peak rates. Not every time-of-use tariff includes a shoulder period.
Off-peak electricity: The lower-priced period, commonly overnight or on weekends. Some newer tariffs also offer cheaper daytime periods when solar generation is high.
The main differences are:
Tariff Period | Relative Electricity Rate | Common Timing |
Peak | Highest | Often late afternoon and evening |
Shoulder | Mid-range | Between peak and off-peak periods |
Off-Peak | Lowest or lower | Commonly overnight or weekends, with daytime periods on some tariffs |
*Your exact periods depend on your electricity plan, so check the tariff times on your bill or plan document before changing when you use electricity.
When Is Off-Peak Electricity in Australia?
Off-peak hours vary across Australia and can fall overnight, around midday or across both periods, depending on your electricity tariff.
Typical Peak and Off-Peak Electricity Times
Off-peak electricity times have traditionally fallen from late evening to early morning on weekdays, with cheaper rates often extending across weekends. Peak rates commonly apply in the late afternoon or evening, and 4 pm to 9 pm provides a useful general reference. Some newer tariffs also include lower-cost midday periods.
Off-Peak Electricity Times by State and Network
The table below gives common network periods and current retail-plan examples across Australia:
State / Network | Off-Peak Electricity Times | Peak Electricity Times | Notes |
NSW / Endeavour Energy area | 10am–2pm on one current retail-plan example | 4pm–8pm weekdays | Other NSW plans can use different periods |
ACT / Evoenergy | 10pm–7am daily on ActewAGL Home Time-of-use | 7am–9am and 5pm–8pm daily | Shoulder applies between these periods |
Victoria / CitiPower example | 9pm–11am | 4pm–9pm daily | Solar soak runs 11am–4pm at an even lower rate |
South East Queensland / Energex | 11am–4pm network TOU period | 4pm–9pm | Shoulder runs from 9pm to 11am |
South Australia / SA Power Networks | 12am–6am | 6am–10am and 4pm–12am | Solar sponge runs 10am–4pm |
Western Australia / Western Power TOU structure | 12am–6am and 11pm–12am | 3pm–9pm | Super off-peak runs 9am–3pm |
*These times provide network guides or current plan examples only. Your retailer may use different retail pricing periods, so check your electricity plan for the hours that apply to your home.
Why Off-Peak Times Vary by Plan, Network and Season
Your off-peak schedule can differ even from another household nearby for several reasons:
Distribution network: Each network uses its own tariff structure and time windows, so NSW, Victoria, Queensland and other regions do not follow one national timetable.
Retail electricity plan: Retailers can turn network tariffs into different customer pricing periods. One plan may use peak, shoulder and off-peak rates, and another may add a separate solar-soak or super off-peak period.
Season: Some network tariffs change their peak windows during the year as seasonal electricity use shifts. Meter setup and controlled-load arrangements can also place certain appliances on separate pricing schedules.
Ausgrid, for example, uses a 3 pm to 9 pm residential network peak period from June to August and November to March, with no peak window in April, May, September or October under that tariff.
Why the Cheapest Electricity Is Not Always at Night
Midday has become one of the cheapest electricity periods on some Australian tariffs. Solar-soak and super off-peak rates encourage households to use more grid electricity when rooftop solar output is high, so appliances, EV charging or battery charging may cost less during the day than overnight.
From 1 July 2026, the regulated Solar Sharer Offer also gives eligible households in NSW, South Australia and South East Queensland a three-hour free-use period during the middle of the day. Check both overnight and daytime rates on your tariff before scheduling flexible loads.
Do You Actually Have Off-Peak Electricity?
Before changing when you run appliances, confirm that your electricity plan actually changes usage rates by time. A single-rate tariff charges the same usage rate throughout the day, and a controlled-load discount may apply only to one dedicated appliance or circuit.
Single Rate vs Time-of-Use Tariffs
Single-rate tariff: You pay the same usage rate regardless of when you use electricity, so changing the time you run appliances does not lower the per-kWh rate.
Time-of-use tariff: Your usage rate changes across nominated periods such as peak, shoulder and off-peak. Some plans also include solar-soak, super off-peak or other discounted periods.
When comparing electricity prices in Australia, check the usage rates and daily supply charge together. Your tariff type tells you whether the time of day changes what you pay per kWh.
Do You Need a Smart Meter for Off-Peak Rates?
Not always. A time-of-use plan needs a meter that can record electricity consumption by time interval. Most newer installations use smart meters, which record detailed usage data and allow remote meter reads, but some older interval meters can also support time-based billing. Controlled-load tariffs can use separate metering arrangements for a dedicated appliance. Check your meter type and plan eligibility with your retailer before changing tariffs.
How to Check Your Exact Off-Peak Times
To check your exact off-peak electricity times, start with your latest bill and your retailer’s Basic Plan Information Document, Energy Fact Sheet or current pricing schedule. Look for the tariff name, the peak, shoulder, off-peak or solar-soak periods, and the cents-per-kWh rate for each period.
If the bill does not show the time windows clearly, ask your retailer to confirm the schedule that applies to your postcode, network and meter.
How Much Cheaper Is Off-Peak Electricity?
The savings come down to the difference between the peak and off-peak rates on your own electricity plan.
Peak vs Off-Peak Electricity Rates
The difference between peak and off-peak rates can vary considerably by location and electricity plan. For example:
If you are on the 2026–27 Victorian Default Offer in the CitiPower zone, you pay 38.31c/kWh during the 4 pm–9 pm peak period, compared with 21.17c/kWh off-peak. The rate drops further to 16.59c/kWh between 11 am and 4 pm during the solar-soak period.
The gap looks different in the ACT. ActewAGL’s 2026 Home Time-of-use tariff charges 49.72c/kWh during peak periods, 33.57c/kWh during shoulder periods and 29.92c/kWh off-peak. What you save depends on how much electricity you can shift into the cheaper periods.
How to Calculate Your Off-Peak Electricity Savings
Start with the appliance’s energy use and the peak and off-peak rates on your plan. If you only have its wattage and running time, calculate your electricity use in kWh first:
Energy Used (kWh) = Appliance Load (kW) × Running Time (Hours)
Then compare the cost across the two tariff periods:
Potential Saving = Energy Used (kWh) × (Peak Rate − Off-Peak Rate)
A 2kW pool pump running for four hours uses 8kWh. At 45c/kWh during peak time and 18c/kWh off-peak, moving the full four-hour run saves $2.16 per day. That equals about $788 over a year if the same rates and daily schedule continue.
When Can a Time-of-Use Tariff Actually Save You Money?
There is no universal percentage of household electricity use that you need to shift for a time-of-use tariff to save money. A TOU plan is more likely to reduce your bill when you can move a meaningful share of your usage into cheaper periods and keep peak use relatively low. Before switching, compare your interval usage under both tariff structures and include the daily supply charge.
How to Use Off-Peak Electricity to Lower Your Bill
If you know when electricity is cheapest on your plan, start with household loads that you can schedule easily. Appliances and charging tasks that do not need to run at a fixed time give you the most flexibility.
Run High-Energy Appliances During Cheaper Hours
Start with flexible loads that use a meaningful amount of electricity, such as dishwashers, washing machines, clothes dryers and pool pumps. Schedule them for your plan’s lowest-rate window where practical. On newer tariffs, that window may fall around midday, so overnight operation does not always deliver the lowest electricity cost.
Schedule EV Charging During Off-Peak Hours
Home EV charging power varies with the vehicle, charger and household connection. Set the vehicle or charger schedule to match the lowest-priced period on your electricity plan, which may fall overnight, around midday or across more than one window. Compare the actual cents-per-kWh rates before choosing your charging schedule.
Pre-Heat or Pre-Cool Your Home Before Peak Hours
Use the cheaper period before peak pricing to bring the rooms you use to a comfortable temperature before the expensive window begins. For a summer tariff with a late-afternoon peak, turn on your reverse-cycle air conditioner earlier, close blinds on sun-facing windows, shut doors to unused rooms and use ceiling or pedestal fans to circulate cool air. Set cooling around 25°C to 27°C. In winter, warm occupied rooms to around 18°C to 20°C before the evening peak, then lower the thermostat once the higher rate starts.
Close curtains before dusk and seal obvious draughts so the home holds the pre-heated or pre-cooled temperature for longer.
Use Timers and Smart Controls to Automate Load Shifting
Built-in appliance timers, smart plugs, EV charger schedules and home energy apps can automate load shifting around your peak and off-peak electricity times. Set each device to your current low-cost window, then review the schedule whenever your retailer changes your plan or tariff periods.
How Battery Storage Can Make Better Use of Off-Peak Electricity
Battery storage can extend load shifting beyond appliances that can run on flexible schedules. You can charge a battery during a lower-price period and use the stored energy later for connected loads when electricity costs more.
Charge a Battery When Electricity Is Cheap and Use It During Peak Hours
Battery storage lets you separate the time you buy electricity from the time you use it. A wider gap between peak and off-peak rates gives each shifted kilowatt-hour more value because every charge-discharge cycle uses some energy. Fill the battery from the grid during a low-rate overnight or midday period, then draw from the stored energy after peak pricing begins. If you have rooftop solar, let daytime solar charge the battery first and use cheaper grid electricity for any remaining top-up.
A portable power station gives you a more targeted way to apply this strategy to plug-in loads. Plug a home-office setup, TV and router, or other suitable appliances into the unit and let the battery carry those devices through the expensive evening window.
If you plan to do this most days, scheduled charging saves you from changing the charge time manually. TOU controls can handle that timing for you.
Automate Off-Peak Charging With EcoFlow TOU Mode
EcoFlow’s TOU mode can automate the same routine. After you set your electricity price periods, it can charge during lower-rate hours and use stored energy when rates rise.
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus Portable Power Station can recharge quickly during a short low-cost window and keep that energy available for selected evening loads. Its TOU controls automate the timing, so you can draw on stored power after peak rates begin.
If your evening demand is higher or the peak-price window lasts longer, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus Portable Power Station gives you a larger energy reserve for the same TOU routine. Its larger starting capacity and higher AC output can support heavier or longer-running connected loads after peak pricing begins.
Conclusion
Off-peak electricity can lower your bill when your tariff has a meaningful price gap and you can move enough usage into the cheaper hours. Check the exact times and rates on your plan first, then shift the loads that are easiest to schedule. If your cheapest period does not match when you need the power, battery storage can move some lower-cost electricity into peak hours.
FAQs
What Appliances Should I Use Off-Peak?
Focus on flexible, energy-intensive loads such as dishwashers, washing machines, clothes dryers, pool pumps and EV charging. Your hot-water system may already use a controlled-load tariff, so check your electricity bill before changing its schedule.
Which Electricity Provider Has Off-Peak Rates?
Major retailers such as AGL, Origin Energy, EnergyAustralia and ActewAGL offer time-of-use plans with off-peak rates in eligible areas. Availability varies by postcode, meter and network. If you live in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania or the ACT, use the Australian Government’s Energy Made Easy service to compare plans available at your address. Victorian households can use Victorian Energy Compare.
Is Off-Peak Electricity Available on Every Electricity Plan?
No. A single-rate plan charges the same usage rate throughout the day. Time-of-use off-peak pricing requires compatible interval metering and an eligible time-of-use plan. Controlled-load tariffs follow separate rules and may provide a lower rate only for a dedicated appliance or circuit.
What Are Peak and Off-Peak Electricity Times in Australia?
Peak periods often run from late afternoon into the evening, commonly around 4 pm to 9 pm. Off-peak hours tend to fall overnight or early in the morning, although some newer tariffs also include cheaper midday periods when solar generation is strong. The exact times vary by plan, so check your tariff before shifting electricity use to a particular window.