Is It Cheaper to Run Appliances at Night?

Short answer: It is only cheaper if you are on a time-of-use tariff with a cheaper off-peak rate. On a single flat rate, a wash at 2am costs exactly the same as one at 2pm. Check your bill for two different unit prices, or the words 'off-peak', 'economy' or 'night rate' — no second rate means no saving.

Where off-peak rates do exist, they are typically 30–60% below the day rate for roughly seven overnight hours. The saving per load is small but repeats every week, and the appliances worth shifting are the ones that use heat: dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers, immersion heaters and EV chargers.

Typical saving per load on an off-peak rate

Before you shift everything overnight

• Fire services advise against running tumble dryers and washing machines while asleep or out of the house; a delay timer that finishes early morning is the usual compromise.
• Noise matters in flats and terraced housing — check the appliance's decibel rating before committing.
• Damp laundry sitting in a drum until morning smells; set the finish time, not the start time.
• Heat pumps and storage heaters have their own optimisation and should be scheduled by their own controller, not manually.

How to check your tariff in two minutes

1. Open your latest bill or supplier app and find the unit rate in pence or cents per kWh.
2. If there is exactly one number, timing changes nothing — focus on using less instead.
3. If there are two, note the off-peak window; it is usually somewhere between 11pm and 7am.
4. Move only your heat-heavy appliances into that window using delay timers.