First-of-its-kind Smart Saver Tariff heralds a more flexible energy future

When it comes to new energy, the future is flexible.  

Whether it’s by investing in large-scale battery projects that will store more renewable electricity and help balance the grid, equipping customers with solar PV and domestic batteries that allow them to become energy generating Flexsumers, or working with heavy industry to provide new and innovative ways of moving away from fossil fuels, we’re doing plenty of good work to bring more flex to the energy system through technology.

Now it’s time to build on some of our previous investments and make things even more flexible by bringing an all-new tariff to UK customers.  

There are now more than 35 million smart meters installed in UK homes, allowing us an unprecedented degree of agility for serving consumers according to their needs. Today, E.ON Next is delighted to make the most of the opportunity this brings by launching the UK’s first mass-market Time of Use tariff to help our customers unlock cheaper electricity and take control of their energy bills.  

Introducing the Next Smart Saver tariff  

The Next Smart Saver tariff will provide customers with certainty over the prices they pay while giving them greater choice and flexibility around their energy use and bills. Here’s how:  

When customers on this tariff use electricity at peak times between 4pm and 7pm, they’ll be asked to pay a rate that reflects national demand. However, during off-peak hours from 5am to 4pm and 7pm to 1am they’ll pay considerably less than the average price per unit in the UK. This off-peak rate is ideal for running large household appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, but to sweeten the deal even more we’re offering a third, super off-peak rate between 2am and 5am – even cheaper and perfect for charging devices from phones to electric vehicles overnight.  

This new way of billing for electricity will not only give customers back control at a time when energy prices are frequently fluctuating, it will help to incentivise the kind of flexible and varied energy consumption we need to balance supply and demand on the national grid and make the most of renewable energy assets.  

E.ON Next’s Chief Operating Officer Ramona Vlasiu explains exactly what we mean when she says: “We know customers are looking for ways to take back control. Our new Time of Use tariff is designed to do just that - rewarding customers who can shift their energy use to times when demand is lower, helping them save on their bills.  

"However, this isn’t just about individual savings; it’s about smarter energy use for the whole country. As the UK moves towards a cleaner, greener grid, shifting demand away from peak times will play a crucial role in reducing strain on the network.”  

The groundbreaking Next Smart Saver tariff will come with no exit fees, and even includes a one-off donation to the Woodland Trust so that customers can support the UK’s natural assets at the same time as its renewable ones.  

A flexible energy future means innovative thinking and action not just in terms of technology, but also investment, policy, and service. That’s why we’re so proud to offer the UK’s first mass market Time of Use tariff and help change how Britons use power for the better, because it’s on us to make new energy work.  

To find out more about flexible energy and the role of flexsumers, go here.