Power Saver case studies: switch on half‑price electricity when it suits you
With the new Power Saver1, you can now get up to 8 one‑hour slots of cheaper electricity2 at times that work best for you across the whole week, every week - not just at weekends.
You can choose, review or update your slots each month in the ScottishPower App before they lock in on the 25th for the following month. Choose what feels easiest, track your savings, and let them build up in the background.
And if you don’t pick any slots at all? Don’t worry, you’ll still automatically get half‑price electricity2between 12pm and 4pm every Saturday and Sunday, so you’ll never miss the chance to shift and save.
Why shifting away from peak times matters
Peak times are usually weekday evenings between 4pm and 8pm, when homes up and down the country are cooking, heating, washing and charging all at once. Power Saver encourages you to move some of that energy use to times when the grid is in less demand.
That matters because when lots of us use electricity at the same time, there often isn’t enough renewable energy available and we have to rely more heavily on non-renewable energy sources like oil or gas. Spreading demand helps balance the grid so we can make the most of renewable sources - and even small shifts can help reduce the need for non-renewable energy sources at peak times.
It sounds simple in theory, but real life isn’t always that straightforward. That’s why Power Saver lets you choose. You can stack your one‑hour slots together to create longer blocks of cheaper electricity – or spread them across the week if that suits you better.
Power Saver case studies
Here are some real‑life examples showing how different households can shift electricity use away from peak weekday evenings (4pm–8pm) into cheaper slots that fit around everyday routines.
1: The busy family home
You live with your children, a partner, and/or pets, and your hands are full with school runs, club runs and trying to keep on top of the house.
How to use your slots
Saturday: 9am–1pm (4 hours, stacked together) Perfect for big weekend laundry loads, tumble drying, hoovering and charging devices.
Monday–Thursday: 9pm–10pm (4 hours total) Later evening slots help move electricity use away from the busiest weekday peak window of 4pm–8pm, without disrupting family routines.
Power Saver tip Get the kids involved and have them help with Saturday morning chores before enjoying an afternoon out and about.
2: Living with flatmates
Shared living usually means shared appliances and more potential to be using energy at peak times.
How to use your slots
Choose a few set days and stack together 3 hours Stack a few consecutive hours together in the evening, for example 8pm–11pm, so everyone knows when to run the washing machine, dishwasher or tumble dryer.
Power Saver tip Pop your slots in the group chat. When everyone’s on the same page, shifting electricity use is far easier to plan around.
3: The night shift worker
You use electricity at different times to a lot of other households. That’s why we designed the new Power Saver to work with each household’s unique energy habits.
How to use your slots
Focus on a few stacked one-hour slots from Monday to Sunday Go for a few stacked one-hour slots together to make the most of the times you’re at home to get through your washing, cooking and heating while the rest of the world’s at work.
Power Saver Tip A lot of appliances let you schedule a start time, so you can make sure you’re making the most of your slots.
4: The meal prepper
If you like to cook once and eat all week, you’ve got a natural saving opportunity.
New research commissioned by us at ScottishPower reveals that more than a third of us (39%) now prefer to batch cook at weekends rather than to traditionally prepare meals from scratch every evening. We’ve teamed up with Matt Tebbutt on a series of family-friendly recipes that are perfect for batch cooking.
How to use your slots
Stack your 8 one-hour slots on Saturday or Sunday Block out weekend hours for oven‑heavy cooking, slow cookers and getting that freezer topped‑up for the week ahead.
Power Saver tip While you’re cooking, you can run the washing machine and the dishwasher to make the most of each your cheaper electricity2 slot.
5: The hybrid worker
Some days at home, some days in the office: flexible savings suit flexible working.
How to use your slots
Group together 3 one-hour slots on work from home days Choose daytime slots for work-from-home days and get ahead of the food prep for dinner, doing the washing and charging your gadgets.
Two late night hour 10pm-11pm Choose two evening slots on your office days to catch up on the washing.
Power Saver tip You can tailor your cheaper electricity2 hours for when you’re actually using the most energy. And if your work-from-home days change, don’t worry you can change your slots for the following month up until the 25th of each month for the following month.
6: The new parents
When sleep is disrupted and routines change every single day, flexibility matters more than anything.
How to use your slots
Choose 2 one-hour slots every other day Spread slots across the week rather than stacking them to give you more opportunities to save when you can. Focus on getting those new baby essentials out the way, such as running the steriliser, charging up the baby monitor and maybe most importantly making lots of cups of tea and coffee.
Power Saver tip There’s no pressure to “maximise” every hour. You can catch up on that never ending pile of baby grow washes throughout the week.
One final thing to remember
If life happens and your routine changes, remember you can always adjust your chosen slots for the following month before slots ‘lock in’ on the 25th of each month.
Don’t worry about finding the perfect slots for you straight away. Just choose the slots that feel easiest, shift what you can, and let your savings build in the background.
1
Our Power Saver Offer events are part of our Power Saver service. You must be a ScottishPower electricity customer with an online account, a communicating smart meter and consent to sharing half-hourly readings with us to participate in the Power Saver Offer. Exclusions apply. See Power Saver Terms and Conditions.
2
Electricity used will be charged at your normal unit rate, and you will later have your bill, or meter if you are a PAYG customer, credited for the energy used during your chosen slots. Each day is divided into hourly slots, with a 50% or 20% discount rating applied to selected slots (50% slots are available 98 hours per week, 20% slots are available 50 hours per week). Credit is calculated depending on the rating of your chosen slots (excluding VAT) and appears as ‘Power Saver Credit’ on your bill or statement. Your daily standing charge will be charged at your normal rate. Eligibility criteria, exclusions, and T&Cs apply.
Last updated: 20 May 2026