British Gas Introduces New 9AM Rule Offering Massive Weekend Energy Savings

Millions of British Gas consumers will see a big change to the way they may control their power bills as the new ‘9 AM rule’ is confirmed. As household finances remain squeezed, the big energy supplier has introduced a new weekend package to decrease bills for anyone prepared to change their everyday habits.

What’s the New 9 AM Rule?

The “9 AM rule” is related to the debut of the British Gas PeakSave Super Saturday Tariff. Under this new 13-month fixed plan, residents will be getting a big eight-hour window of half-price power every single Saturday. The discount starts sharply at 9:00 AM and continues till 5:00 PM.

All power consumed during these hours is charged at a simple 50% reduction off the normal prices. The idea is to encourage consumers to use heavy-load appliances during times when the national grid can cope with the overall demand and when the output of renewable energy – such as wind and solar power – is often at its height.

A Major Upgrade from Sundays

Sound familiar? That’s because British Gas has already achieved fantastic uptake with its current PeakSave Super Sunday plan. But the Saturday edition is a huge step forward for busy homes.

The Sunday pricing gives you five hours of half-price power (11:00 AM to 4:00 PM), but the new Saturday regulation increases those savings to a full eight-hour period. This provides families a lot more freedom to get weekend tasks done, plan meals and use power-hungry devices without having to stare at the clock nearly so often.

How to Maximise Your Half-Price Hours

So how can you really get the most out of this weekend’s price slash? The goal is to move your “energy-guzzling” duties into the 9 am to 5 pm Saturday timeframe. Here’s where you’ll notice the most impact on your monthly bill:

• Tackling the Laundry: A significant part of the normal household’s energy cost comes from the Laundry Wet appliances (washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers) because of the electricity needed to heat water. The price of waiting to do your laundry until 9 AM Saturday is immediately lowered by half.
• Batch Cooking Ovens & Electric Hobs: These are high-wattage equipment. Saturday afternoon meal prepping for the next week is exactly what taking advantage of the lower cost is all about.
• Charging Up: Whether it’s charging up the battery on an electric vehicle (EV), charging up laptops for the work week or using power tools for weekend DIY projects, changing your charging timings makes a visible effect.
• Smart Heating and Cooling: If you use plug-in heaters, fans or electric heat pumps, using them during these hours can assist adjust your home’s temperature for a fraction of the expense.

Who is Eligible and How it Works

There are a few fundamental conditions to be met to be eligible for the PeakSave Super Saturday (or Sunday) events:

• Become a British Gas energy client.
• Have a smart power meter that works. This is important because the provider needs half-hourly meter readings to appropriately calculate your consumption and apply the 50% discount.
• Join the PeakSave programme by logging in to your online British Gas account or using the mobile app.

Once you have signed up, you don’t need to do any complicated maths. At the weekend, you pay your standard rate, but British Gas works out the savings behind the scenes using the information from your smart meter. Then, on your next statement, they put half of what you spent during those hours back into your account.

As the UK moves towards a smarter, more flexible energy system, off-peak prices like PeakSave are rapidly becoming the norm. Your weekend productivity is actively keeping money in your pocket with this new 9 AM rule, merely by shifting the time you do laundry or charge the car.

Sources

• Daily Record: British Gas confirms massive Saturday saving for customers with new 9am rule
• Daily Express: British Gas confirms new 9am rule for customers on Saturdays
• British Gas Official: Enjoy half price electricity with PeakSave