What is Economy 7?
Economy 7 is an electricity tariff that gives you 7 hours of cheaper electricity every night. The trade-off is that you pay more during the day.
How does Economy 7 work?
You pay two different prices for electricity:
- Night rate (off-peak): a much cheaper price for 7 hours overnight.
- Day rate (peak): a higher price for the other 17 hours. It's usually more than you'd pay on a normal single-rate tariff.
The 7 cheap hours are usually somewhere between 10pm and 8:30am, and the most common window is00:30 to 07:30. The exact hours depend on your region and your meter.Check your Economy 7 hours, including whether it's cheap right now.
The idea is simple: if you use lots of electricity at night, for example to heat storage heaters or a hot water tank, the cheap night rate saves you more than the dearer day rate costs you.
Is Economy 7 worth it?
It depends on when you use electricity. As a rough rule, guides from Octopus, Uswitch and others say you need to use somewhere around a third or more of your electricity during the night hours for Economy 7 to pay off.
Economy 7 usually suits you if you have:
- Electric storage heaters
- An electric immersion heater for hot water
- An electric car you charge overnight
- No gas supply, so you heat your home with electricity
It usually doesn't suit you if:
- You heat your home with gas
- You're at home all day using electricity (working from home, cooking, heaters on in the day)
- You can't easily move appliances to night-time with timers
What is an Economy 7 meter?
To be on Economy 7 you need a meter that can record night and day electricity separately.
- Older two-rate meters show two readings, often labelled "low" and "normal", or "night" and "day". Some have two dials or two numbers on screen.
- Smart meters can do Economy 7 too. They record your use every half hour and send readings automatically.
Most meters keep to winter time (GMT) all year, so your cheap hours run an hour later by the clock in summer.See your hours for today.
Is Economy 7 being phased out?
No. Economy 7 tariffs are still available from the big suppliers. What has ended is an old technology some meters relied on.
Some older meters were switched between day and night rates by a radio signal called theRadio Teleswitch Service (RTS). It also switched some storage heaters and hot water on and off. The RTS signal was switched off in stages and ended for good on 30 June 2026.
If you had an RTS meter that hasn't been replaced, it may not switch rates or heating at the right times any more. Signs to look for:
- A separate box next to your meter with a "Radio Teleswitch" label
- Heating or hot water coming on at odd times, or not at all
- Your bill showing little or no night-rate use when you know you use electricity at night
If any of these apply, contact your energy supplier. They should replace the meter, usually with a smart meter, at no charge. Ofgem, the energy regulator, hasmore advice on replacing an RTS meter.
Can I switch supplier and keep Economy 7?
Yes. Most suppliers offer an Economy 7 tariff, and switching doesn't usually mean changing your meter. When you compare, look at both the day rate and the night rate, not just one, and work out the cost using your own day/night split.
If you're thinking about Octopus, see our Octopus Economy 7 guide.
Economy 7 questions
How does Economy 7 work with storage heaters?
Storage heaters charge up with heat overnight on the cheap rate, then slowly release it during the day. That's why Economy 7 and storage heaters usually go together.
Is Economy 7 the same as Economy 10?
No. Economy 10 gives 10 cheaper hours, usually split between the night, the afternoon and the evening. It's less common, and it needs a meter set up for it.
Can I get rid of Economy 7?
Usually yes. Ask your supplier to move you to a single-rate tariff. With a smart meter this can often be done remotely. Check first that it will actually save you money.