The unusual kick-off times of the 2026 Fifa World Cup — being staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States — could present a practical opportunity for UK households to reduce their energy costs, according to research reported by the Guardian. With many matches taking place in the early hours of the morning in the UK, some energy experts suggest the overlap with cheaper off-peak electricity rates is worth paying attention to.
How time-of-use tariffs work
Time-of-use tariffs charge customers different rates depending on the time of day electricity is consumed. E.ON Next's Next Smart Saver deal, cited in the Guardian's report, offers three pricing bands: a peak rate of 39p per kilowatt hour (kWh) between 4pm and 7pm, an off-peak rate of 18p, and a super off-peak rate of 13p between 2am and 5am.
Julian Lennertz, chief commercial officer at E.ON Next, is quoted as saying: "Millions are set to be awake for night-time games, unaware it's also one of the cheapest times to use electricity."
E.ON Next compared the cost of running a washing machine during the tariff's cheapest rate across 35 World Cup match days against the government's energy price cap. The research, carried out by Jan Rosenow, a professor of energy and climate policy at the Environmental Change Institute, found this could save the nation £93m in aggregate.
Rosenow is quoted in the article saying: "Most people don't realise that when they run appliances, can be just as important as which appliances." Running a washing machine is said to typically account for 14% of a household's energy bill, according to the research.
Potential annual savings
According to the Guardian's report, the E.ON Next tariff could save households up to £230 a year compared with the price cap, if five typical daily activities — such as watching television, ironing and using a tumble dryer — were shifted from peak to off-peak times.
Separately, EDF's dynamic tariff, FreePhase, alerts customers the day before to the following day's pricing across three bands: a green super off-peak rate (11pm–6am), an amber off-peak rate, and a red peak rate (4pm–7pm). EDF told the Guardian that FreePhase saved customers £152 in the first five months of this year compared with a standard variable tariff.
Caveats and limitations
Experts quoted in the article urge caution. Joanna O'Loan, knowledge manager at the Energy Saving Trust, told the Guardian that time-of-use tariffs are currently used by a relatively small number of households. Ofgem estimates that only 2–3% of households are currently on one, most of them for electric vehicles.
O'Loan noted that the flexibility required to benefit from these tariffs "isn't possible for everyone", and that without it, "savings can be small, or even negative". She also pointed out that a smart meter is required to access newer smart time-of-use tariffs, as without one, a supplier cannot track when electricity is used or apply the correct rates.
Ben Gallizzi, an energy expert at Uswitch, added that while interest in such tariffs is growing, "users need to watch out for the more expensive peak rates between 4pm and 7pm". He said that customers who use a significant amount of energy during the day may not benefit.
Broader context: rising bills
The Guardian's report comes ahead of an increase to the energy price cap next month, which will raise the average annual gas and electricity bill to £1,862 from July. Gallizzi noted that the cheapest available fixed deal at the time of writing was from Outfox Energy, priced at £1,611 a year for an average household — £251 below the July price cap level.
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