What is the Comparison Rate?
It is difficult to compare a tariff like Agile Octopus with others as the price changes every half hour. A variable tariff like Octopus Tracker changes on a daily basis, with most other tariffs having fixed prices that are valid for months at a time.
Calculating an equivalent "average" daily rate is straightforward, but assumes that energy is consumed at the same rate throughout the day. The comparison rate attempts to correct this assumption, by recognising that average demand varies throughout the day. Typical demand is low overnight, increasing throughout the day to a peak in the late afternoon and early evening.
The comparison rate is a weighted average of the half-hourly rates taking into account this distribution.
Daily Electricity Use
| Time of Day | Mean Weekday Usage | Mean Weekend Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 0.27 kWh | 0.27 kWh |
| 00:30 | 0.24 kWh | 0.26 kWh |
| 01:00 | 0.24 kWh | 0.25 kWh |
| 01:30 | 0.23 kWh | 0.24 kWh |
| 02:00 | 0.22 kWh | 0.23 kWh |
| 02:30 | 0.22 kWh | 0.22 kWh |
| 03:00 | 0.21 kWh | 0.21 kWh |
| 03:30 | 0.20 kWh | 0.20 kWh |
| 04:00 | 0.19 kWh | 0.20 kWh |
| 04:30 | 0.19 kWh | 0.19 kWh |
| 05:00 | 0.18 kWh | 0.18 kWh |
| 05:30 | 0.18 kWh | 0.18 kWh |
| 06:00 | 0.19 kWh | 0.18 kWh |
| 06:30 | 0.22 kWh | 0.20 kWh |
| 07:00 | 0.26 kWh | 0.22 kWh |
| 07:30 | 0.31 kWh | 0.25 kWh |
| 08:00 | 0.34 kWh | 0.29 kWh |
| 08:30 | 0.35 kWh | 0.33 kWh |
| 09:00 | 0.35 kWh | 0.36 kWh |
| 09:30 | 0.35 kWh | 0.38 kWh |
| 10:00 | 0.34 kWh | 0.39 kWh |
| 10:30 | 0.34 kWh | 0.40 kWh |
| 11:00 | 0.33 kWh | 0.40 kWh |
| 11:30 | 0.33 kWh | 0.40 kWh |
| 12:00 | 0.33 kWh | 0.40 kWh |
| 12:30 | 0.34 kWh | 0.42 kWh |
| 13:00 | 0.35 kWh | 0.42 kWh |
| 13:30 | 0.34 kWh | 0.41 kWh |
| 14:00 | 0.33 kWh | 0.40 kWh |
| 14:30 | 0.32 kWh | 0.39 kWh |
| 15:00 | 0.32 kWh | 0.38 kWh |
| 15:30 | 0.32 kWh | 0.39 kWh |
| 16:00 | 0.34 kWh | 0.39 kWh |
| 16:30 | 0.37 kWh | 0.42 kWh |
| 17:00 | 0.42 kWh | 0.46 kWh |
| 17:30 | 0.48 kWh | 0.50 kWh |
| 18:00 | 0.51 kWh | 0.53 kWh |
| 18:30 | 0.52 kWh | 0.53 kWh |
| 19:00 | 0.51 kWh | 0.51 kWh |
| 19:30 | 0.50 kWh | 0.49 kWh |
| 20:00 | 0.47 kWh | 0.47 kWh |
| 20:30 | 0.45 kWh | 0.44 kWh |
| 21:00 | 0.43 kWh | 0.42 kWh |
| 21:30 | 0.41 kWh | 0.40 kWh |
| 22:00 | 0.39 kWh | 0.38 kWh |
| 22:30 | 0.36 kWh | 0.36 kWh |
| 23:00 | 0.33 kWh | 0.32 kWh |
| 23:30 | 0.29 kWh | 0.29 kWh |
Chart
Data Sourced from Smart Energy Research Lab