Choosing a meter type tariff, or Time of Use (ToU) tariff can give you access to cheap electricity rates at different times of the day.
Single rate – No variation in usage rates (24 x 7 x 365)
Block rate – a usage rate calculated based on blocks of usage
Shoulder – shoulder rates sit between peak and off-peak times
Off-peak – rates change in low usage periods, such as overnight
Time of use – different times of day incur different rates; same goes for different times of year
Feed-in tariff – paid to the customer based on the amount of electrcitiy they ‘feed in’ to the grid from their solar panels. It is applied on top of one of the other usage tariffs.
To access ToU tariffs you need a smart meter at your home. You can arrange an upgrade through your retailer, or talk to your CheapBills expert. All homes in Victoria have recently been upgraded to smart meters, so when you compare electricity plans in Melbourne you can save money with a ToU tariff.
In addition, if you have certain appliances on a separate meter then electricity best deals can be found with a controlled load tariff.