Economy 10 Calculator
Compare Economy 10 electricity tariffs with standard single-rate plans. Calculate daily peak and off-peak energy costs, estimate your annual utility savings, and find the best UK tariff to reduce your household electric bills.
Economy 10 Calculator
💡 Economy 10 tariffs provide 10 hours of lower-cost electricity spread across multiple periods during the day. Actual off-peak hours vary by supplier and region.
How to Use Economy 10 Calculator
Comparing your dual-rate energy usage and estimating the potential savings on a UK Economy 10 tariff is easy. Follow these simple steps to calculate your costs:
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1Enter daily consumption values. Input your average daily off-peak consumption and daily peak consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Check your smart meter or recent utility statements for accurate figures. If you have an Economy 7 meter instead, you can use our Economy 7 Calculator or compare with EDF rates using the EDF Economy 7 Calculator.
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2Specify your energy tariff rates. Enter the Economy 10 off-peak rate, the Economy 10 peak rate, and the standard single-rate tariff in pence per kilowatt-hour (p/kWh) offered by your electricity supplier. To see the raw cost conversion of your energy usage, check the kWh to Pounds Calculator UK or the Electricity Cost Calculator UK.
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3Input the standing charge. Fill in the daily standing charge in pence per day (p/day). This is the fixed daily connection fee regulated by Ofgem. If you want to look at how much fixed costs impact your bill, visit the Standing Charge Calculator.
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4Select your billing period. Choose whether you want to calculate costs and savings for a Daily, Monthly (30 days), or Yearly (365 days) period. The calculator automatically applies the correct billing period multiplier.
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5Interpret the savings output. Click the "Calculate Cost" button. The tool displays your total Economy 10 cost, standard tariff cost, and a clear comparison indicator. A positive value shows net savings, while a negative value displays the potential extra cost of the dual-rate plan. For renewable export comparisons, you may also benefit from the Smart Export Guarantee Calculator.
How to Calculate Economy 10 Costs
To accurately calculate electricity costs under an Economy 10 tariff, you must apply the respective peak and off-peak rates to your usage registers, add the fixed daily standing charge, and convert the total from pence to pounds. The standard formulas are as follows:
Economy 10 Cost Formulas
Formula 1 — Economy 10 Tariff Cost:
Formula 2 — Standard Single-Rate Cost:
Formula 3 — Net Financial Savings:
Formula 4 — Savings Percentage:
Real-Life UK Calculation Example
Let's run a worked example for a typical UK household on an Economy 10 meter. We will use the following standard parameters:
- Daily Off-Peak Usage: 12 kWh/day
- Daily Peak Usage: 8 kWh/day
- Total Daily Usage: 20 kWh/day
- Economy 10 Off-Peak Rate: 12 p/kWh
- Economy 10 Peak Rate: 28 p/kWh
- Standard Single Rate: 26 p/kWh
- Standing Charge: 55 p/day
1. Daily Calculation (Multiplier = 1)
First, calculate the Economy 10 daily cost:
Economy 10 Energy Cost = (12 kWh × 12 p) + (8 kWh × 28 p) = 144 p + 224 p = 368 pence
Total Economy 10 Cost = 368 p + 55 p (standing charge) = 423 pence = £4.23
Next, calculate the Standard single-rate daily cost:
Standard Tariff Energy Cost = 20 kWh × 26 p = 520 pence
Total Standard Cost = 520 p + 55 p (standing charge) = 575 pence = £5.75
Calculate daily savings and percentage:
Daily Savings = £5.75 − £4.23 = £1.52
Savings Percentage = (£1.52 ÷ £5.75) × 100 = 26.43%
2. Monthly Calculation (Multiplier = 30)
Multiply daily usage and standing charges by 30 days:
Monthly Off-Peak Usage = 12 × 30 = 360 kWh | Monthly Peak Usage = 8 × 30 = 240 kWh
Economy 10 Energy Cost = (360 × 12 p) + (240 × 28 p) = 4,320 p + 6,720 p = 11,040 pence
Standing Charge Cost = 55 p × 30 = 1,650 pence
Total Economy 10 Cost = 11,040 p + 1,650 p = 12,690 pence = £126.90
Standard single-rate monthly cost:
Standard Energy Cost = 600 kWh × 26 p = 15,600 pence
Total Standard Cost = 15,600 p + 1,650 p = 17,250 pence = £172.50
Calculate monthly savings:
Monthly Savings = £172.50 − £126.90 = £45.60 (26.43%)
3. Annual Calculation (Multiplier = 365)
Multiply daily values by 365 days:
Annual Off-Peak Usage = 12 × 365 = 4,380 kWh | Annual Peak Usage = 8 × 365 = 2,920 kWh
Economy 10 Energy Cost = (4,380 × 12 p) + (2,920 × 28 p) = 52,560 p + 81,760 p = 134,320 pence
Standing Charge Cost = 55 p × 365 = 20,075 pence
Total Economy 10 Cost = 134,320 p + 20,075 p = 154,395 pence = £1,543.95
Standard single-rate annual cost:
Standard Energy Cost = 7,300 kWh × 26 p = 189,800 pence
Total Standard Cost = 189,800 p + 20,075 p = 209,875 pence = £2,098.75
Calculate annual savings:
Annual Savings = £2,098.75 − £1,543.95 = £554.80 (26.43%)
Economy 10 Chart
The table below provides a cost comparison of a dual-rate Economy 10 tariff versus a standard single-rate electricity plan across different levels of daily household consumption. This table assumes a realistic 50% off-peak energy usage share, an Economy 10 off-peak rate of 15 p/kWh, a peak rate of 32 p/kWh, a standard flat rate of 28 p/kWh, and a standing charge of 60 p/day.
| Daily Usage | Off-Peak Share | Economy 10 Cost | Standard Cost | Estimated Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kWh/day | 50% | £2.95 | £3.40 | £0.45 |
| 15 kWh/day | 50% | £4.13 | £4.80 | £0.68 |
| 20 kWh/day | 50% | £5.30 | £6.20 | £0.90 |
| 25 kWh/day | 50% | £6.48 | £7.60 | £1.13 |
| 30 kWh/day | 50% | £7.65 | £9.00 | £1.35 |
Note: Actual tariffs, daily standing charges, and off-peak times vary by supplier, geographic region, and specific meter configuration.
Economy 10 Frequently Asked Questions
Economy 10 is a UK domestic electricity tariff that provides ten hours of cheaper, off-peak electricity each day. Unlike Economy 7, which has one continuous block of off-peak hours at night, Economy 10 splits these ten hours across three separate periods: overnight, in the afternoon, and during the evening.
It is only cheaper if you shift a substantial portion of your electricity consumption to the designated off-peak hours. Because Economy 10 has a significantly higher peak daytime rate than standard single-rate tariffs, households that do not use storage heaters or charge electric vehicles during off-peak times may see their total energy bills increase.
Households with electric storage heaters, large hot water cylinders, or plug-in electric vehicles benefit the most from Economy 10. These systems can be automatically programmed to charge or heat up during the cheaper afternoon, evening, and night periods, allowing the home to run off stored heat and energy during expensive peak rate hours.
Economy 10 provides exactly ten hours of discounted electricity per day. These ten hours are divided into three distinct blocks, typically structured as 3 hours in the afternoon (e.g., 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM), 2 hours in the evening (e.g., 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM), and 5 hours overnight (e.g., 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM). Actual times vary by supplier and region.
Yes, but it is not always straightforward. Switching from Economy 7 to Economy 10 usually requires a physical meter replacement or a smart meter reconfiguration to support the three off-peak registers. You will need to contact your energy supplier to see if they support Economy 10 tariffs in your region and if any installation fees apply.
Yes, Economy 10 tariffs include a daily standing charge, which is a fixed fee in pence per day that covers the cost of maintaining the connection to the electrical grid. This fee is paid regardless of how much electricity you use and is typically comparable to or slightly higher than standing charges on standard single-rate tariffs.
The calculator provides an accurate mathematical comparison based on the exact tariff rates, standing charges, and energy consumption inputs you provide. However, actual savings will vary because off-peak switching hours can shift during British Summer Time (BST) or due to supplier-specific meter hardware offsets.
Yes, but availability is limited compared to standard tariffs. Many major UK suppliers still support existing Economy 10 meters, but it can be difficult to sign up as a new customer. Most suppliers now recommend switching to smart time-of-use tariffs or dedicated EV tariffs which offer similar off-peak charging benefits.