While electricity prices change constantly based on supply and demand, there are predictable patterns. Understanding these patterns helps you plan energy-intensive activities and save money — even without checking prices every hour.
Typical Daily Pattern
Electricity demand follows human activity. Prices generally track this pattern:
🌙 Cheapest: Night (00:00–06:00)
Consistently the cheapest time. Most people are asleep, businesses are closed, and baseload power plants keep running. This is the ideal window for:
- Electric vehicle charging
- Water heater scheduling
- Running dishwashers and washing machines (with delay timers)
- Home battery charging
🌅 Expensive: Morning Peak (07:00–09:00)
Everyone wakes up at once: showers, coffee machines, heating, commute-time EV charging. Factories start their shifts. Avoid running major appliances during this window.
☀️ Variable: Midday (10:00–16:00)
Prices drop from morning peak but stay moderate. In summer, the "solar dip" (12:00–15:00) can bring very low prices when sun is strong. In winter, this period stays elevated due to ongoing industrial demand.
🌆 Most Expensive: Evening Peak (17:00–21:00)
The worst time to use electricity. Everyone comes home, turns on lights, cooks dinner, watches TV, and heats/cools their homes simultaneously. Industrial demand overlaps with residential. This is when prices regularly hit daily highs.
🌃 Declining: Late Evening (21:00–00:00)
Prices gradually fall as people go to bed. By 22:00-23:00, prices are often reasonable again. Not as cheap as deep night, but much better than evening peak.
Weekdays vs. Weekends
📅 Weekdays (Mon–Fri)
🎉 Weekends (Sat–Sun)
Weekends are generally 20-40% cheaper than weekdays because industrial demand drops dramatically. Sunday mornings are often the cheapest time of the entire week.
Seasonal Patterns
Winter
Highest prices overall due to heating demand. But also most volatile — storms bring cheap wind power.
Spring
Prices drop as heating ends. Melting snow fills hydro reservoirs. Often good value.
Summer
Generally low prices. Strong midday solar dips. Some cooling demand in southern regions.
Autumn
Prices rise as heating season starts. Shorter days reduce solar. Autumn storms help.
Special Days
Public Holidays
Major holidays (Christmas, Easter, Midsummer, national days) often have weekend-like or even lower prices because businesses close. Christmas Day and New Year's Day typically see some of the lowest prices of the year.
Industrial Vacation Periods
In Nordic countries, the July "industry vacation" period sees reduced prices as factories shut down for maintenance and employee holidays.
Weather Overrides Everything
Typical patterns are guidelines, not rules. Weather can completely override normal expectations:
- Strong wind can make a Tuesday evening cheaper than a calm Sunday night
- Extreme cold can make night prices higher than typical daytime prices
- Bright sunshine can push midday prices to near zero in summer
- Simultaneous calm + cold creates the most expensive conditions
Practical Rules of Thumb
If you can't check prices, these rules generally work:
- Prefer night over day — 00:00-06:00 is almost always cheapest
- Avoid 17:00-21:00 — This is almost always the most expensive
- Weekends beat weekdays — Especially Sunday
- Use delay timers — Set appliances to run at 02:00-04:00
- Check tomorrow's prices — Published after 14:00 CET, helps you plan