Economy 10 explained – best E10 rates UK September 2026
Economy 10 (E10) gives you ten cheap off-peak hours each day, split into three windows: a morning slot, an afternoon slot and an overnight slot. The off-peak unit rate is a little higher than Economy 7, but the longer total window makes it a strong fit for homes with heat pumps, storage heaters or hot-water tanks and daytime electric load that cannot sit inside a single 7-hour overnight block. With the Ofgem price cap at £1,663 a year, the value of genuine load-shifting has climbed sharply.
- Not a comparison-site product: E10 is a legacy meter arrangement – no supplier publishes a comparable E10 unit rate.
- Typical windows: three slots covering morning, afternoon and overnight (10 hours total).
- Best fit: heat-pump homes, storage heaters, hot-water tanks and daytime electric load.
- Ofgem context: The cap is £1,663/yr, lifting the payback on every off-peak unit.
Quick answer
Economy 10 is a multi-rate electricity tariff that gives you 10 cheap off-peak hours a day across three windows – morning, afternoon and overnight – with a higher peak rate the rest of the time. Because E10 is a legacy metering arrangement rather than a marketed product, there is no published national E10 rate to quote – your rate comes from your supplier, for your meter and region. It only saves money if roughly 40% or more of your usage falls inside those windows, so it suits heat-pump homes, storage heaters and hot-water tanks far more than a typical flat-usage household. It is not the same as Economy 7: E7 has a cheaper rate but only one overnight block.
Compare Economy 10 tariffs in one place
Economy 10 is a niche corner of UK retail electricity – it is supported for existing meters rather than actively marketed, so you will not find it listed as a switchable product. The pay-off is that E10’s three-window design fits modern heat-pump and storage-heating load profiles far better than either Economy 7’s single overnight block or a flat single-rate tariff. If you have a heat pump that runs through the day, E10 is often the most honest tariff for your home.
Tell us your postcode (so we can confirm your DNO region and which E10 windows apply locally) plus your heat-pump or hot-water setup, and we’ll show you what is actually available for your meter type at your postcode.
Find the best Economy 10 tariff for your home
Send us your postcode and meter type and we’ll match the cheapest off-peak E10 rate you qualify for. Takes about 60 seconds.
Why we don’t publish an Economy 10 rates table
Economy 10 is a legacy metering arrangement rather than a product you can buy off a comparison table, and that has a practical consequence: there is no whole-of-market Economy 10 price list to publish – here or anywhere else.
Suppliers do still bill existing Economy 10 meters, and EDF, British Gas and others support them. What they generally do not do is advertise a named “Economy 10” tariff with a published unit rate you can hold up against another supplier’s. The rate you are offered depends on your meter configuration, your distribution region and how that supplier treats multi-rate meters – so it has to come from the supplier, for your address. Anyone publishing a single national “best Economy 10 rate” is guessing.
The question to ask before you switch
Standard fixed tariffs are priced as two-rate products – one day rate and one off-peak rate. An Economy 10 meter has three cheap windows. Before you move, ask the supplier directly: “I have an Economy 10 meter with three off-peak periods. On this tariff, will all three be billed at the off-peak rate, or only the overnight one?” Get the answer in writing. If only the overnight block is off-peak, your afternoon and evening heating moves to the day rate, which can cost more than staying where you are.
For the benchmark an Economy 10 setup has to beat: the single-rate electricity price cap is 26.11p/kWh with a standing charge around 57p/day.
If your Economy 10 runs on a Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meter, note that the RTS signal was switched off nationally at the end of June 2026 and those meters are being replaced with smart meters. How the replacement is configured decides whether you keep three off-peak windows at all – confirm that with your supplier before agreeing to an exchange.
How Economy 10 actually works
Economy 10 is a dual-rate electricity tariff billed off a two-register meter – either a legacy E10 mechanical meter or a SMETS2 smart meter configured for two-rate billing across three windows. The off-peak rate applies during 10 hours of the day, split across three blocks: typically a 2–3 hour morning slot, a 2–3 hour afternoon slot and a 4–5 hour overnight slot. The peak rate applies the rest of the day. The idea is that storage heaters and hot-water cylinders can be “topped up” both overnight and during the day, smoothing thermal output instead of relying on a single overnight charge.
In 2026 the most economically interesting E10 use case is heat pumps. A typical 12,000–18,000 kWh/year air-source heat pump runs throughout the day; pure Economy 7 forces all of that into a single 7-hour overnight block (often impossible without a huge buffer tank), but E10’s three windows match the heat-pump duty cycle far better. Whether that beats a flat ~26p/kWh tariff depends entirely on the off-peak rate your supplier gives you and how much load you genuinely shift – which is why the rate has to come from them rather than from a table here.
How the E10 windows work – regional timing
Like Economy 7, Economy 10 windows are set by your DNO (distribution network operator) and vary by region. The total off-peak time is always 10 hours, but the split between the three slots differs. Typical 2026 windows look like this:
| DNO region | Morning slot | Afternoon slot | Overnight slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| London & South East | 04:30–07:30 | 13:30–16:30 | 20:30–00:30 |
| East Midlands | 05:00–07:00 | 13:00–16:00 | 20:00–01:00 |
| North Scotland | 04:30–07:30 | 13:30–16:30 | 20:30–00:30 |
| South West | 04:30–07:30 | 13:30–16:30 | 20:30–00:30 |
If you have an older RTS-driven E10 meter, the Radio Teleswitch Service withdrawal that affects Economy 7 applies here too – your supplier will replace it with a SMETS2 smart meter free of charge, keeping your E10 tariff and windows. Use the comparison form above to start a switch and confirm your exact local times.
What the current price cap means for E10
The Ofgem energy price cap is £1,663 a year for a typical dual-fuel direct-debit home. The cap unit rates are 26.11p/kWh + 57.19p/day for electricity and 7.33p/kWh + 29.04p/day for gas. The rise is driven almost entirely by wholesale gas: gas is up about 24% while electricity is up only about 5%.
- Only Standard Variable (capped) tariffs rise. Around 40% of households on fixed deals are unaffected until their fix ends – if you are on a fix, your rates are protected.
- Default cap-tracking E10 rates move with the price cap, so a fixed deal shelters you from an increase – if your supplier will fix a multi-rate meter.
- Meter-reading tip: submit a reading on 30 September so today’s £1,663 cap covers all your usage up to that date.
- Looking ahead: the next cap review is 1 October 2026; confirmed at £1,723/yr (updated consumption basis)
Because the cap sets the do-nothing baseline, the only way to beat it is a competitive fixed or off-peak deal. For the right load profile, E10 is one of the tools that can land you below the capped flat rate – use the comparison form above to see your numbers.
Economy 10 vs Economy 7 – which one wins?
Storage heaters only
Economy 7 usually wins. Storage heaters charge purely overnight, so the extra daytime windows earn nothing – and Economy 7 is widely offered as a switchable product, which Economy 10 is not.
Heat pump (daytime load)
Economy 10 usually wins on paper: it captures morning, afternoon and overnight heat-pump load, whereas E7 only catches the slice running in its single overnight block. Confirm the off-peak rate with the supplier before assuming it pays off.
Hot-water tank + WFH
Economy 10 wins. Daytime laundry, dishwasher and immersion top-ups run during the afternoon off-peak window. E7 forces them all overnight or onto the peak rate.
| Feature | Economy 7 | Economy 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Off-peak hours | 7 hours, one overnight block | 10 hours, three windows |
| Published off-peak rate | Yes – comparable across suppliers | No – quoted per meter and region |
| Best for | Overnight-only load: storage heaters, EV charging | Spread load: heat pumps, hot water, WFH appliances |
| Availability | Widely offered | Niche – mainly EDF & British Gas |
Economy 10 pitfalls to watch
- The peak rate is higher than single-rate. At ~28–30p/kWh, the E10 peak rate sits above the 26.11p/kWh capped flat rate, so usage outside the windows costs you more than it would on a standard tariff.
- You need to genuinely shift load. If you cannot move at least ~40% of consumption into the ten off-peak hours, a flat or fixed tariff is usually cheaper.
- Few suppliers offer it. Switching choice is limited mainly to EDF and British Gas, so you may not always find the cheapest headline tariff on E10.
- Window timing is fixed by your DNO. You cannot choose your slots, and the afternoon window may not line up with when you are home – check the regional times before committing.
- Compare against single-rate heat-pump tariffs. Products like Octopus Cosy (three daily cheap slots) can beat E10 for some heat-pump homes – always run both through the comparison.
How to switch to an Economy 10 tariff
- Check your meter type. If you already have an E10 mechanical or RTS meter, you can switch directly. If you have a single-rate SMETS2 smart meter, EDF or British Gas will reconfigure it for E10 – typically 1–2 weeks.
- Estimate your off-peak share. Take a meter reading after a full week. If 40% or more of your consumption falls into the morning, afternoon and overnight off-peak blocks, E10 will beat a flat tariff at the ~26p/kWh cap rate.
- Ask your current supplier first. Staying put and asking them to quote your multi-rate meter is usually simpler than switching, because the tariff has to be applied to your meter configuration either way.
- Use the comparison form. We confirm regional E10 window timings, your DNO standing charge, and which supplier configures E10 fastest for your meter type.
- Time your daytime appliance use. Run the dishwasher and laundry around 14:00 and let the heat pump run hard 13:30–16:30 to bank thermal mass for the early-evening peak. Pushing 50% of load to off-peak roughly doubles E10’s payback versus a flat tariff.
Frequently asked questions – Economy 10
What is the cheapest Economy 10 off-peak rate?
There is no published answer to this, and you should be wary of any site that gives you one. Economy 10 is not marketed as a switchable product with a national price, so the off-peak rate is quoted per meter and region by the supplier. Confirm your local rate via our comparison form.
When do the three E10 off-peak windows occur?
Window times are set by your DNO and total 10 hours per day. The most common pattern is a 3-hour morning window (~04:30–07:30), a 3-hour afternoon window (~13:30–16:30) and a 4-hour overnight window (~20:30–00:30). Exact times vary by region and meter type – check your bill or meter docket.
Is Economy 10 better than Economy 7?
It depends on your load profile. For pure overnight loads (storage heaters, EV charging) Economy 7 usually wins, and it has the practical advantage of being widely offered as a switchable tariff. For load that spreads across the day (heat pumps, hot-water top-ups, work-from-home appliances), Economy 10 wins because the off-peak window is longer and split into three. Run both via our comparison form.
Which suppliers offer Economy 10?
Realistically, none actively market it. Larger suppliers including EDF and British Gas support existing Economy 10 meters and will bill them, but they do not advertise an Economy 10 tariff with a published rate. Octopus and OVO will configure smart meters for multi-rate billing on request, though their headline products are Economy 7 or Cosy. Treat any site quoting you a national “best Economy 10 rate” with caution.
Will the Ofgem price cap rise affect E10 rates?
Yes. The Ofgem price cap is £1,663/yr flows through to cap-tracking E10 rates, which move up to roughly 16–17p/kWh off-peak. Only Standard Variable tariffs rise – fixed deals are protected, if your supplier will fix a multi-rate meter.
Can I get Economy 10 on a SMETS2 smart meter?
Yes. SMETS2 smart meters can be configured for multi-rate billing including the three E10 windows. Your new supplier handles the reconfiguration via the DCC after switching – typically 1–2 weeks from the switch date. RTS-driven E10 meters are being replaced with SMETS2 free of charge.
Is Economy 10 worth it for a heat pump?
In most cases yes. A 12,000–18,000 kWh/year heat pump that runs through the day will see 50–70% of its consumption fall into the three E10 off-peak windows, saving an estimated £400–£700/year versus a flat ~26p tariff. Compare it against Octopus Cosy via our comparison form – Cosy is sometimes cheaper still.
What happens if I use electricity during the E10 peak rate?
You pay the peak rate, which on a multi-rate meter typically sits above the equivalent single-rate cap of 26.11p/kWh. That is why the savings only materialise if a meaningful slice – typically 40% or more – of your consumption sits in the three off-peak windows.
Find your best Economy 10 rate
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