Your electricity supplier offers you the possibility of paying a lower price for your electricity consumption during the night, as less power is used then. Choosing this option depends of your usage during day or night hours.
The dual hourly rate
Your meter box contains a meter for a single hourly rate or dual hourly rate.
The 'Dual hourly rate' electricity meter has two counters, which alternate at the start of each rate period:
- Night rate
You pay a lower rate at night and during the weekend and legal holidays.
These periods are also known as off-peak times. - Day rate
You pay a higher rate on working days from 7.00 am to 10.00 pm.
These periods are also known as peak times.
The single hourly rate
With the single hourly rate meter, no difference is made between daytime and night-time hours. So you pay the same price for the power you use during the day and during the night. The single rate is also known as the ‘normal rate’.
A connection to a single-rate meter is suitable for those who do not use much power, or who use power mainly during the day. Depending on how much you use, it may be more advantageous to switch over to a dual hourly rate.
The price per kWh at the 'normal rate’ is usually lower than the day rate with a dual rate meter, but higher than the night rate. Consult your energy supplier’s rates.
Single hourly rate also possible on meters with two counters
If your meter has one counter, then you are sure to have a single-rate meter.
However, if your meter has two counters (day and night), your consumption can still be invoiced at the normal rate. In that case, the consumption on the day counter and on the night counter are simply added together.
Call our customer sevice if you would like to find out which rate is applied for you.