Cheapest time to use electricity today
For Monday 19 October in Southern England. Based on Octopus Agile's half-hourly prices, which follow the wholesale market, plus the grid's carbon forecast.
The short answer
The cheapest 3 hours in Southern England still to come are Tue 20 Oct 02:00 to 05:00, averaging 29.48p per kWh.
The dearest 3 hours are Tue 20 Oct 16:00 to 19:00 at 52.06p. A 1 kWh dishwasher run in the cheapest hour instead of the dearest saves about 22.8p.
The greenest stretch in the next day is Tue 20 Oct 02:00 to 04:00, at about 61 g of CO₂ per kWh (now 177). Carbon intensity
Best times in Southern England
from now until Tue 20 Oct 23:00
| How long | Best time | Average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a dishwasher or washing machine cycle | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 | 29.23p |
| 2 hours a tumble dryer, or topping up a battery | Tue 20 Oct 03:00–05:00 | 29.42p |
| 3 hours a longer wash and dry, or a good EV top-up | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 | 29.48p |
| 4 hours charging an electric car (about 28 kWh on a 7 kW charger) | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 | 29.49p |
Agile prices, Southern England
- Below zero: you are paid to use it
- Under half the price cap
- Under the price cap (26.47p)
- Above the price cap
- Over 1.5 × the price cap
Find your region
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Cheapest times in every region
from now, Agile, average p per kWh
| Region | Best 1 hour | Best 3 hours | Best 4 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern England | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 29.23p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 29.48p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 29.49p |
| East Midlands | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 27.68p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 27.91p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 27.92p |
| London | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 27.68p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 27.91p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 27.92p |
| Merseyside and North Wales | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 30.78p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 31.04p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 31.05p |
| West Midlands | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 29.23p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 29.48p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 29.49p |
| North East England | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 29.23p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 29.48p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 29.49p |
| North West England | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 29.23p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 29.48p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 29.49p |
| Southern England | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 29.23p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 29.48p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 29.49p |
| South East England | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 30.78p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 31.04p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 31.05p |
| South Wales | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 30.78p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 31.04p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 31.05p |
| South West England | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 32.33p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 32.60p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 32.61p |
| Yorkshire | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 27.68p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 27.91p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 27.92p |
| South Scotland | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 29.23p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 29.48p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 29.49p |
| North Scotland | Tue 20 Oct 04:00–05:00 33.88p | Tue 20 Oct 02:00–05:00 34.16p | Tue 20 Oct 01:00–05:00 34.17p |
Prices from Octopus Energy's public API (AGILE-24-10-01), including VAT. Electricity VAT is 0% from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Checked 17:30. UK Electricity is independent and not affiliated with Octopus Energy.
What to run when
- Dishwasher or washing machine (about 1 kWh a cycle): use the best 1-hour window, or a delay timer to start it overnight.
- Tumble dryer (2 to 4 kWh): the best 2-hour window. It is one of the biggest savers to move out of the evening.
- Electric car: a 7 kW home charger adds about 7 kWh an hour, so the best 4-hour window adds around 28 kWh, roughly 100 miles.
- Home battery: charge in the cheapest window and run the house from it between 4pm and 7pm.
- Heat pump or immersion heater: pre-heat the house or the hot water tank before the evening peak.
Not on Agile?
On a standard tariff, including the price cap, each kWh costs the same whatever the time, so moving use saves nothing on the bill, though using power when the grid is greenest still cuts carbon. On Economy 7 your cheap hours are set by your meter: check your bill. Octopus Go's cheap rate runs from 00:30 to 05:30 every night, and Intelligent Octopus Go's from 23:30 to 05:30.
Common questions
What is the cheapest time to use electricity in the UK?
On a time-of-use tariff like Octopus Agile, it is usually overnight, roughly midnight to 6am, and sometimes the middle of the day when it is sunny or windy. The most expensive time is almost always the early evening, 4pm to 7pm. The exact cheapest hours change every day; this page shows them for today and tomorrow.
Is electricity cheaper at night on a normal tariff?
No. On a standard single-rate tariff, including the price cap, you pay the same price per kWh at any time of day. Night-time is only cheaper on tariffs built for it, such as Economy 7, Octopus Go or Agile.
When are Economy 7 off-peak hours?
Economy 7 gives seven hours of cheaper electricity overnight, but the exact hours are set by your meter and vary by region and supplier. Check your bill or ask your supplier for your times.
When is the off-peak window on Octopus Go?
Octopus Go has a cheaper rate from 00:30 to 05:30 every night, the same in every region. Intelligent Octopus Go has a cheap overnight window from 23:30 to 05:30, and can add extra cheap slots when it charges your car.
When is the greenest time to use electricity?
When the most power is coming from wind, solar and nuclear, the carbon intensity of the grid is lowest. That is often overnight on windy days and around midday on sunny ones. We show the cleanest stretch in the next day from the Carbon Intensity forecast.