What a time-of-use tariff is
A time-of-use tariff sets electricity prices by time period rather than a single flat rate. The simplest form has two blocks — peak (day) and off-peak (night). More advanced versions have several bands, or follow the wholesale market every half-hour.
The main types
Day/night (two-rate): a cheaper overnight rate and a higher daytime rate — the classic Economy 7 model.
EV tariffs: a very low, short overnight window aimed at car charging, with a standard rate the rest of the day.
Dynamic / half-hourly: the price tracks the wholesale market for every settlement period, so the cheapest hours move day to day.
Pros and cons
The upside is clear: if you can shift flexible load into the off-peak window you pay far less for it. The downside is that using power during peak periods costs more, and remembering to run appliances at the right time is a chore.
That is why time-of-use tariffs pair naturally with automation — the savings depend entirely on when your flexible loads run.
Getting the most from a TOU tariff
FYXO reads your tariff’s rate structure and schedules EV charging, hot water, batteries and appliances into the cheapest bands automatically. You keep control of comfort and deadlines; FYXO handles the timing.