Best Night/Off-Peak Power Plans

Large power bills can be expensive, but there are simple ways to save. Depending on your power usage, switching to a cheaper night/off-peak power plan can lead to big savings.

Cut-price off-peak power plans are offered by many energy retailers; Canstar Blues looks at what’s on offer and how to save money as you sleep.

What are night/off-peak power plans?

Night/off-peak tariffs offer a cheaper power rate at night and during the day, when the demand for electricity is at its lowest. For example:

• Peak: 25c per kWh
• Off-peak 17c per kWh

This differs from a standard plan, which offers a single kWh price regardless of when you use electricity. However, some plans that offer off-peak power can charge a bit more for peak power use.

To sign up for an off-peak plan usually requires a smart meter, so your electricity retailer knows when you are using your power. However, around 83% of New Zealand homes have a smart meter, so chances are you already have one installed.

When are night/off-peak power times?

The exact times differ between plans and providers. But, usually, peak times are Monday to Friday, 7am-11am & 5pm-9pm.

How providers choose to offer their off-peak electricity differs. While some opt to provide cheaper rates at any time outside of peak hours, others opt for a day/night plan. On these plans, you only get off-peak electricity rates during the night (11pm-7am).

Is a night/off-peak power plan right for me?

This depends on a few factors:

• To make up for the cheaper off-peak rates, are you getting charged more for your peak power?
• How much electricity usage can you shift off-peak?

You may find that a power plan offers a great night rate but, to compensate, its standard rates are higher. This means to avoid overpaying, you need to direct as much of your power usage as possible to off-peak times.

It’s important to note that not all plans offering off-peak electricity charge more for peak rates. You may find a plan that delivers cheap rates at all times. But how much you can save on your power bill depends on how much usage you can shift off-peak.

Night/off-peak plans are best suited for:

• EV owners – who can use the cheap night rates to charge their EVs
• People who work odd hours – if you work nights and are home all day, for example, you can run all your appliances during cheaper daytime rates
• People who work from home – working from home can really add to your power bill. Cheaper power throughout the middle of the day can make a big difference
• Night owls and early birds – up extra late or extra early? Use that time for showers, laundry, and running the dishwasher
• Homebodies – typically all weekend is considered off-peak. So if you’re a homebody, this can not only save on your existing usage, but allows you to shift plenty of your power-hungry chores to the weekend, too.

Do note that some of the above suggestions assume you’re getting off-peak rates during the day. As mentioned above, some plans only offer discounted rates at night.

Which power companies offer night/off-peak plans?

Below is an overview of all the major electricity providers in New Zealand that offer plans with peak and off-peak electricity rates. Do note the actual rates offered will be based on your home’s address, so be sure to visit individual retailer websites for quotes.

Electric Kiwi

Electric Kiwi’s MoveMaster plan offers discounted rates during off-peak shoulder times and half-price rates during off-peak. Notably, its morning peak rates are just 7am-9am. Whereas many other providers charge peak rates until 11am. Throw in the fact that all Electric Kiwi plans come with an hour of free off-peak power, and there are plenty of savings to be made.

Peak times: 7am-9am, 5pm-9pm daily
Off-peak shoulder times: 9am-5pm, 9pm-11pm daily
Half price night times: 11pm-7am daily

Electric Kiwi is also the winner of Canstar Blue’s 2023 Most Satisfied Customers | Bundled Utilities Award, for its great electricity and broadband bundle deals. For more info, click here.

Flick

Flick’s Off Peak power plan lets you save between 21%-55% (based on meter configuration, network area and load group) of your peak power price.

Peak times: 7am-11am, 5pm-9pm
Off-peak times: 11am-5pm (excluding Christchurch), 9pm-7am & all day weekends

Get cheap power all weekend, plus every day & night with our Off Peak Plan

Pay weekly using our Flexible Payment options & No Contracts. Takes just 3 minutes to join.

Join Now

Flick is also the latest winner of Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers | Electricity Providers Award.

Octopus Energy

A new face in power in New Zealand, Octopus Energy offers some great rates. Notably, if you’re a low user, which most Kiwis are, you’ll pay no fixed daily rates. Its off-peak rates include half-price energy at night.

Peak times: 7am-11am, 5pm-9pm
Off-peak: 11am-5pm, 9pm-11pm & 7am-11pm on weekends
Night: 11pm-7am everyday

→Related article: Octopus Energy: A New Deal in NZ Electricity

Powershop

Powershop has Get Shifty rates, which offer discounted electricity rates during off-peak hours in some areas.

The times differ depending on your area and network, but in most areas peak rates fall within the standard times of: weekdays 7am-11am, 5pm-9pm.

For more info on Powershop’s Get Shifty rates and if they apply to you, click here.

Ecotricity

Ecotricity sets itself apart as New Zealand’s only provider of 100% renewable and carbonzero certified electricity.

It offers two plans that feature off-peak rates and savings of up to 40% on power:

• Low Eco Saver – for small 1- or 2-person households
• Eco Saver – ideal for EV owners

Peak times: 7am-11am, 5pm-9pm
Off-peak times: 9pm-7am, 11am-5pm & all day weekends

Contact

Contact Energy has two plans that offer cheaper overnight power:

• Good Nights: free power 9pm-midnight every night of the week
• Dream Charge: cheaper rates overnight, from 11pm-7am every night of the week

Nova

Nova has one open-term off-peak plan that breaks down its pricing into three bands: Off-peak, Shoulder and Peak.

The times of the three bands and the savings vary, depending on where you live around the country. And some areas just offer peak and off-peak rates. For more information on what’s on offer in your area, click here.

Night/off-peak EV power plans

While these providers don’t offer standard time-of-use rates, they do have plans with discounted night rates for EV owners. While these plans are primarily designed to save on EV charging costs, you can run other appliances during these hours to make the most of the discounted rates. Note that each of the following plans require evidence of EV ownership.

Meridian

Meridian’s EV Plans offers discounted electricity from 9pm-7am every night.

Genesis

If you have an EV, Genesis will give you half-price power from 11pm-7am every night.

Mercury

Mercury’s EV Fuel Package applies a 20% discount to your existing Mercury plan between 9pm-7am every night. Available on a two-year term.

How do you make the most of night/off-peak power plans?

Night/off-peak plans work well for households that are disciplined and committed to using electricity outside of peak times. Here are some tips to help you make the most a night tariff plan:

• Make sure you know when your night time/off-peak rates are, so you can make the best use of them
• Ensure your hot water cylinder is set up so it only charges at night. You will need to make sure you’ve enough water in your cylinder to last the whole day
• Use high-energy appliances at off-peak times, for example the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer
• If you have an electric vehicle (EV), charge it at night
• Charge your devices overnight
• During winter, set your heat pump(s) to come on early in the morning before peak-power time, to thoroughly warm your living areas

Compare Power Companies with Canstar Blue

If you really want to save money on your electricity bill, the easiest and quickest way is to switch providers. When was the last time you reviewed how much you’re paying for your power? Electricity providers in NZ change their pricing and plans all the time to stay competitive. So if you’ve been with the same provider for yonks, chances are there is a far better value deal out there for your home. You could potentially save hundreds of dollars a year by switching to a more competitive plan. 

Take a look at your next power bill. Once you know how much you’re paying in fixed and variable charges, it’s easy to jump online and compare different power companies and the deals they’re offering. A good place to start is Canstar’s most recent review of electricity providers, here is a snippet of our top scoring providers:

Canstar Blue’s latest review of NZ power companies compares them on customer satisfaction and value for money. The table below is an abridged version of our full results, for more details click on the big button at the bottom of the story!

See Our Ratings Methodology

Compare electricity providers for free with Canstar Blue!

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce began his career writing about pop culture, and spent a decade in sports journalism. More recently, he’s applied his editing and writing skills to the world of finance and property. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.