Did you know that cooking at certain times of the day can save you money and help the planet? When you cook during off-peak energy hours, you use electricity when there’s plenty to go around and rates can be cheaper. Learn more about off-peak cooking in this guide, along with fun recipes that kids can help make during peak and off-peak times. Get cooking and save energy with these tips.
What is Peak and Off-Peak Electricity?
When looking at peak and off-peak electricity, think of it as an energy traffic light. Red indicates peak hours, which means that the energy grid is busy and electricity can be more expensive. Green indicates off-peak hours, meaning there’s more energy available and it’s a great time to cook!
Whether your energy prices will be affected by peak and off-peak electricity depends on your energy tariff.
Why Timing Matters: Energy and Cooking
Our whole country shares the energy grid. During peak (red) hours, lots of people are using electricity at the same time, meaning there’s less to go around, and prices go up. This means that cooking using the oven and stove becomes more expensive if you’re on a flexible energy or ‘time-of-use’ tariff.
During off-peak times, fewer people are using electricity. This pushes the prices down, making it cheaper (and more eco-friendly) to cook for people on time-of-use tariffs because there’s less pressure on the energy grid and more renewable energy to go around.
So, by cooking dinner when the energy light is green, you could save money on your electricity bill and be kinder to the planet by using energy more wisely. That’s a win-win!
4 Easy Recipes to Cook During Peak and Off-Peak Hours
Ready to start cooking? We’ve put together some fun recipes that you can try out, depending on whether your energy light is red or green.
When the energy light is green, make good use of the oven with these recipes:
● Mini muffin tin pizzas: Place bread circles or English muffins (cut in half) into a muffin tin. Add tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings before baking in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 180°C.
● Cheesy pasta bake: Cook pasta in boiling water. Mix the pasta with tomato sauce and veggies. Spoon into a baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 180°C until the pasta bake is bubbly and golden.
When the energy light is red, steer clear of using extra electricity with these no-bake recipes:
● Energy bites: Mix 1 cup of oats, ½ cup of peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and a handful of raisins, seeds, or chocolate chips in a bowl. Roll into small balls and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
● Rainbow veggie wraps: Spread cream cheese or hummus onto a tortilla wrap. Add colourful veggies like grated carrot, cucumber sticks, red pepper, and spinach. Roll it up, slice into pinwheels, and it’s ready to eat.
Fun Activities: Make Your Own Energy Tracker
Want to become your home’s Energy Hero? Our fun energy tracker helps your whole family know when it’s a good time to cook without using too much energy, and when you should stick to no-bake recipes. You’ll need:
● Two pieces of cardboard
● Colouring pens
● Blu-Tac
● Scissors (ask an adult if you need help)
To make your energy meter, draw a big circle on your cardboard and colour one section of the circle green (for off-peak hours) and one section red (for peak hours). Use drawings and stickers to decorate each side. On your second piece of cardboard, draw an arrow and cut it out. Use Blu-Tac to stick the arrow on your energy meter, and move it based on peak hours to show everyone whether it’s time to cook or time to save electricity.
Not sure when your home has peak or off-peak energy? Check what tariff you are on and if your provider sets peak and off-peak electricity times. For more inspiration around cooking with kids, be sure to check out the latest on the Kiddy Cook blog!