Economy 10 Meters: Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Last reviewed: 08 October 2026

What exactly is an Economy 10 meter, and why does your electricity cost less at certain times of the day? If you have inherited one in your home or are considering a multi-rate tariff, understanding how those cheaper hours work is key to knowing whether it is right for you.

This guide explains how Economy 10 works, who it can suit and what to know if you still have an older Economy 10 meter.

How does an Economy 10 meter work?

Economy 10 is a multi-rate electricity arrangement that gives you around 10 hours of cheaper electricity each day. Unlike Economy 7, which usually provides one continuous overnight period, Economy 10's cheaper hours are typically split into several periods across the day and night.

An Economy 10 meter records your electricity use at different rates depending on the time of day. You pay a lower rate during around 10 off-peak hours and a higher rate during the remaining hours.

The off-peak periods are usually split into two or three windows rather than running as one continuous block. For example, you might have some cheaper hours during the afternoon, another period in the evening and a longer overnight period. The exact timings vary between suppliers and locations, so you should check your electricity bill or ask your supplier which hours apply to your meter. 

To use a multi-rate arrangement, your meter needs to be capable of recording electricity use separately for the different periods. This could be an older multi-register meter or a smart meter configured for time-of-use billing. 

If you have an older meter: some older Economy 10 meters relied on the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) signal to switch between peak and off-peak rates. The RTS phase-out was completed on 30 June 2026, so if your meter still depends on it, contact your electricity supplier. See what happened to the Radio Teleswitch Service below for what this means.

Who is Economy 10 best suited to?

Economy 10 can be useful for households that use a significant amount of electricity at different times of the day, particularly where electricity is used for heating or hot water.

It suits homes with:

• Storage heaters that need to charge at different times
• An immersion heater or electric hot water system
• Electric heating that is used during the day as well as overnight
• Electricity use that does not fit neatly into a single overnight off-peak period

The benefit of Economy 10 comes from shifting electricity use into your cheaper periods where possible. This can be particularly useful for appliances or heating systems that can be programmed in advance.

For example, you might run an immersion heater, storage heating or other high-use appliances during your off-peak hours rather than during the more expensive periods.

You do not need to change every part of your routine, but if you rarely use electricity during the cheaper windows, you may not get much benefit from the tariff.

If most of your electricity use happens overnight, Economy 7 may be a better fit. The important thing is not simply how many off-peak hours a tariff offers, but how much of your household's actual electricity use falls within those hours.

Is Economy 10 worth it? A worked example

Whether Economy 10 saves you money depends on how much of your electricity you use in the cheaper hours. The example below uses made-up rates to show how that works. These are illustrative figures only, not real tariff prices, so replace them with the rates on your own tariff.

Assume a single-rate tariff charges 28p per kWh, and an Economy 10 tariff charges 36p per kWh at peak times and 16p per kWh off-peak. Standing charges are left out to keep the sum simple. The table shows what 1,000 kWh of electricity would cost at different off-peak shares.

*These figures are only for illustrative purposes. 

In this example, Economy 10 only breaks even when 40% of your usage falls in the off-peak hours. Below that, you pay more than you would on a single-rate tariff. Above it, you save.

To find your own break-even point, work out how far the peak rate is above the single rate, then divide that by the gap between the peak and off-peak rates. Here, the peak rate is 8p above the single rate and 20p above the off-peak rate, so the break-even point is 8 divided by 20, or 40%.

Your real figures will differ, because rates, off-peak hours and standing charges vary between suppliers and regions. Ask your supplier how much of your usage falls in each period, then compare the full tariffs rather than the unit rates alone.

Economy 10 vs Economy 7: what is actually different?

Both tariffs work on the same underlying principle: a lower rate for a set number of off-peak hours, funded by a higher rate the rest of the time. Economy 10 does not automatically save more just because it offers more off-peak hours; what matters is what share of your own usage actually falls inside those windows.

If you are trying to decide between the two, our Economy 7 meters guide covers the single-window version in full, and is worth reading alongside this page if your household's usage pattern is not clearly a fit for one or the other.

Economy 10: advantages and disadvantages

Economy 10 can work well if your home is set up to make use of its cheaper electricity periods. But it is not automatically the cheapest option.

Potential advantages

• Around 10 hours of cheaper electricity each day
• Off-peak periods can include daytime and evening hours as well as overnight
• Can suit homes with electric heating and hot water
• Gives you more opportunities to run certain appliances during cheaper periods
• Can work well alongside storage heaters and other systems that can be programmed around off-peak hours

Potential disadvantages

• Peak electricity can cost more than on a single-rate tariff
• Exact off-peak hours vary
• Not all suppliers offer Economy 10 tariffs
• Older meters may be more difficult to support
• You may need to change how you use heating and appliances to make the tariff worthwhile
• An Economy 10 meter can be linked to older heating systems, so changing the meter or tariff needs some care

Is Economy 10 still available?

Economy 10 is less common than Economy 7 and other smart time-of-use tariffs. Some households still have Economy 10 meters and tariffs, but availability can depend on the supplier, region and type of meter you have.

If you already have an Economy 10 meter and it works with your heating or hot water system, check with your supplier before changing tariff or meter. Moving away from an older multi-rate arrangement can affect how your heating system operates and whether you can return to the same setup later.

Smart meters can also support different time-of-use tariffs, giving suppliers more flexibility over how cheaper electricity periods are structured. Our smart meter guide explains them in more detail.

If you are considering switching, check the actual unit rates, standing charge and off-peak hours rather than assuming that Economy 10 will be cheaper simply because it offers more discounted hours.

If you are moving into a property with an Economy 10 meter, check the meter arrangement before choosing a tariff. Some suppliers may not support the existing setup, so you may need to discuss your options with a supplier before switching.

If the property has electric heating or hot water connected to the meter, make sure any replacement meter or tariff can still operate the system as expected.

What happened to the Radio Teleswitch Service?

Some older Economy 10 meters use the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), also known as the Dynamic Teleswitch Service (DTS). RTS used a radio signal to tell certain older electricity meters when to switch between peak and off-peak rates. It could also control electric heating and hot water. The RTS phase-out was completed on 30 June 2026. 

If you still have an RTS-controlled meter, contact your electricity supplier. Ofgem says support for RTS meters has now ended, so a meter that still relies on the signal may no longer work as expected, and any faults will be harder to fix. Ofgem advises arranging a new smart meter through your supplier.

Without a working RTS signal, an affected meter may no longer switch between peak and off-peak periods correctly. This could mean:

• Heating or hot water being left on or off
• Storage heaters charging at the wrong time
• Higher electricity bills
• Your supplier being unable to confirm your peak and off-peak usage accurately
• Fewer tariff options being available

How can I tell if I have an RTS meter?

You may have an RTS-controlled setup if:

• There is a separate switch box near your electricity meter labelled Radio Teleswitch
• Your home uses electric heating or storage heaters
• Your property does not have a gas supply
• You have a multi-rate tariff such as Economy 7, Economy 10 or Total Heat Total Control

These signs do not confirm that your meter uses RTS, so if you are unsure, contact your electricity supplier. 

What should I check before changing an Economy 10 meter?

If you have an older Economy 10 meter, you may be offered a smart meter or a different tariff. Before agreeing to a change, check how your current electricity setup works.

In particular, find out:

• Which appliances or heating systems use the off-peak supply
• When your current cheaper periods operate
• Whether your supplier supports your existing Economy 10 arrangement
• What tariff you would move to if the meter is replaced
• Whether the replacement meter will continue to support your heating or hot water system
• What the new peak and off-peak rates would be

This is particularly important in homes with electric heating. A meter change can affect when heating or hot water equipment receives its cheaper electricity, so you should understand the new arrangement before the existing meter is removed.

Now that you know how Economy 10 works and how its off-peak hours are structured, you can compare the rates available to you and see whether your current setup still represents good value. Compare energy tariffs to see what deals could work for your household.

Frequently asked questions