09 JUL 2025

How to make the most out of your free or discounted hours of power 

We get it – there’s nothing like running a heater on a cold day or the luxury of a long hot shower. However, when the power bill comes around, it can be a bit of a shock. That’s one of the reasons we created Good Plans, designed to help put you more in control of your power bill.  

By tweaking a few energy consumption habits here and there, you could save money and get the most out of your Good Plan. You can also feel good knowing you’re using energy in off-peak times which is more likely to be generated from renewable sources. Kudos to you!

Here are some ideas to get you shifting your energy use and cutting down that power bill.

Good Nights (Free power from 9pm to midnight, Monday to Friday*)

• Check which appliances have timers or delay start buttons – you might be surprised. For example, many washing machines, dryers and dishwashers come with this nifty button. If they don’t, whip them into action at 9pm. 
• Keep the heater or air conditioner going into the late evening or midnight at the latest. This may help keep your place warm (or cool) well into the early hours. 
• Use slow cookers in a whole different way! There’s actually some great recipes out there for breakfast cooked in the slow cooker. Turn it on after 9pm and you’ll get at least some cooking time for free. 
• Mix up a batch of biscuits during the day when it suits but leave the actual cooking until after 9.  
• Love your electric blanket? No problem. Switch it on at 9, jump into bed at 10 and you’ve got a cosy warm bed without the running costs. (Just make sure you switch it off before nodding off.) 
• Shower just after the free period starts – did you know that heating hot water usually accounts for around 30% of the usage on a power bill? Showering early in the free period means your cylinder will also refill while the power is free. Win win. 
• Charge all your devices at once. If you have a stick vacuum cleaner, it’s a good time to charge that too. 
• Use the free hours as a great excuse to stay up late and watch the latest recommendations streamed to your device. Or catch up on some live overseas sport. 

Good nights plan

Good Weekends (Free power from 9am-5pm every Saturday and Sunday*)

• Hold out on your chores – Save the laundry, dishwasher loads, ironing, and weekly house vacuum until the weekend. If you’re heading out for the day, chuck them on to get done while you’re out. 
• Bake and cook up a storm. Sunday meal prep never tasted so good – take full advantage by using the oven, stove, slow cooker, you name it, you can use it guilt free! 
• Heat or cool your home to the perfect temperature by having your heater or air conditioner on for longer during the weekend days. Invest in a smart thermostat to automatically adjust temperatures.  
• Showering? Do it during the day. Get clean just after 9am to ensure your hot water cylinder refills during the free power period. 
• Make the most of the dehumidifier. Put your dehumidifier to work all weekend for a dryer, easier-to-heat house. 
• Charge. Everything. Need to charge your cordless vacuum cleaner, EV, or other appliances? Weekends are the perfect time to charge them up for the week. 
• Track your usage – monitor how much energy you are using (and money you are saving) with Contact’s app or online through My Account.

Good weekends plan

Good Charge (half price power 9pm to 7am every night of the week^)

We know that overnight is generally the best time for most households to charge their EV. We’re able to offer these discounted overnight rates because that's when it's generally cheaper for us to purchase the power you consume.  

The more energy use you shift to the 9pm-7am period, the more you can save, so don’t just plug in your EV - follow the Good Nights tips above to knock even more off your energy bills.  

Our best tip of all? Reward yourself with the money you have saved by treating yourself to a little something special. 

Good charge plan

_{*Fair use policy, conditions and eligibility criteria apply. "Power" refers to electricity.} 

_{^Conditions and eligibility criteria apply. Half price power applies to variable electricity usage rate compared to day rate. Excludes daily charge and non-electricity usage charges.}