07 August 2025
Summary
You’ve got your home charger installed. Now it’s time to charge your EV, easy, right? Yes, but when you charge makes a big difference. Off-peak charging is one of the easiest ways to save money, reduce your carbon footprint. Whether you're new to EVs or just haven’t explored charging schedules yet, here’s what off-peak charging really means and why it matters.
In simple terms, off-peak charging means plugging in and charging your EV during hours when electricity demand is lower, usually overnight. Because fewer people are using power at that time, the grid is under less pressure and energy prices tend to drop.
Most energy suppliers offer cheaper electricity rates during these low-demand hours, often between 12am and 7am, depending on your tariff.
The most immediate benefit of off-peak charging is lower energy bills.
Let’s say your EV needs 40kWh to fully charge:
That’s a potential saving of £9 per charge, or hundreds per year, especially if you charge multiple times a week.
With a waEV-charge EV charger, you can easily schedule your charging to happen automatically during your cheapest rate window. Set it once in the app and it’ll remember your preferences, no manual switching needed.
EVs draw a significant amount of electricity, and if too many homes in one area charge during peak hours (typically early evening), it puts extra pressure on the local network.
This can lead to:
Charging off-peak helps balance this demand, which is why many energy suppliers and charger manufacturers, including waEV-charge with our smart charging rewards, encourage grid-friendly charging habits.
Not all electricity is created equal. During peak hours, the grid often has to call on gas-fired power stations to meet demand. At night, there's less demand and a higher percentage of energy comes from renewable sources like wind power, which generates most of its output overnight.
Charging your EV off-peak means you’re more likely to be using cleaner energy, even without solar panels.
Some electricity suppliers offer EV-specific tariffs that include:
To take advantage of these, you’ll usually need a smart charger like waEV-charge’s that supports scheduled charging and energy data sharing.
If you’re not on one of these tariffs yet, it’s worth checking if your supplier offers one or switching to one that does.
The best part is, once it’s set up, off-peak charging doesn’t require any effort.
With the ev.energy app:
No more logging in at night or hoping you remember to plug in at the right time. It’s smart and stress-free.
Not all standard energy tariffs offer big savings overnight. If you're using a waEV-charge smart charger but are still on a flat-rate energy plan, you might not be getting the full benefit. Look into off-peak or EV-specific plans from your energy provider. You could start saving within a single billing cycle. Additionally, moving to an off peak tariff is not advantageous for everyone as in a lot of cases by moving to an EV specific tariff, it can increase your standard rate to the point where if your energy usage is very high in peak times already, may not be worthwhile.
This article was written by the waEV-charge Team. waEV-charge specialises in installing and manufacturing EV chargers for both home and commercial use in the UK. If you're interested in electric car chargers, click here to discover more about our products.