In short
Only for a home that can keep its usage out of the evening peak. A time-of-use plan charges a high rate in the late afternoon and evening, a low rate overnight and often a cheap rate in the middle of the day; a home that cooks, cools and washes between four and nine pays more on it than on a single-rate plan, and a home that can shift those loads pays less. It needs a smart meter, and the only reliable way to decide is to price both on your own usage.
How the two work
| Single rate | One usage price all day, every day. Works on any meter. Simple to compare. |
|---|---|
| Time of use | Two or three usage prices by time of day: a peak in the late afternoon and evening, an off-peak overnight, and often a shoulder or a cheap daytime solar-soak rate. Needs a smart meter. |
| Demand | A usage rate plus a monthly charge on your highest half-hour of demand in the peak window. Needs a smart meter. See what a demand tariff is. |
The windows are set by the plan, and they follow the Energex network tariff underneath it, so most South East Queensland time-of-use plans put the peak somewhere between four and nine in the evening and the cheapest hours in the middle of the day and overnight. Some plans treat weekends and public holidays as off-peak; the plan's own terms say which days the peak applies on.
What the cheapest of each costs a typical home
Who comes out ahead
- Homes that are out all day and can run the dishwasher, the washing machine and the pool pump on timers outside the peak.
- Homes with an electric car that charges overnight.
- Homes that can pre-cool in the afternoon on the cheap daytime rate rather than starting the air-conditioner at five.
- Homes with a battery, which charge on the cheap rate and run the peak from storage.
Who does not
- Homes with someone in all day who cooks and runs the air-conditioning through the evening. The peak rate is paid in full on the biggest loads.
- Homes with a basic accumulation meter. Without a smart meter no plan can price by time of day, and a retailer may put such a home on a single rate whatever it signed up for.
- Homes whose retailer moved them onto a time-of-use plan when a smart meter was installed, without the household choosing to shift anything. This is common, and often costs more than the single-rate plan they left.
How to decide
Price both on your own half-hourly usage. A meter-data file from your retailer's portal, or your smart-meter history, shows exactly how much of your usage falls in the peak window; a bill shows only the total. The paid check prices every single-rate and every time-of-use plan you are eligible for on the same usage, tells you which wins, and says how much shifting a given load would change the answer, so the decision rests on your habits rather than on a tariff's name.
Quick answers
What are the peak electricity hours in Queensland?
On most South East Queensland time-of-use plans the peak is in the late afternoon and evening, commonly starting at four and ending at nine, on weekdays or every day depending on the plan. Overnight is off-peak, and many plans add a cheap daytime rate around the middle of the day when rooftop solar is abundant. The exact windows are set by each plan and follow the Energex network tariff beneath it.
Can I switch from a time-of-use tariff back to a single rate in Queensland?
Usually, by choosing a single-rate plan with your retailer or another one. Some homes are on a time-of-use network tariff that the retailer passes through, and a retailer may or may not offer a single-rate plan on it; ask, and compare both. A smart meter does not force you onto time of use.
Do I need a smart meter for a time-of-use plan?
Yes. A time-of-use plan prices electricity by the half hour it was used in, and only a smart (interval) meter records that. A basic accumulation meter records a running total, so a home with one can only be on a single-rate plan until the meter is replaced.
Sources
Official pages this answer relies on. If one of them changes, tell us and we will update the page.
- Residential electricity tariffs · Energex
- Energy Made Easy · Australian Energy Regulator
- Queensland public holidays · Queensland Government