Free electricity is not a phrase UK energy suppliers throw around lightly. EDF FreePhase - the headline EDF smart tariff 2026 and one of the few three-band electricity tariffs on the UK retail market - does. The tariff drops to zero for short windows every time the wholesale market goes negative because of surplus wind and solar, and EDF texts the day before each free window so households can move washing, dishwashing, EV charging or hot-water heating into the cheap overnight electricity UK households would otherwise pay full peak rates for.
You get those free windows on both versions of FreePhase - Dynamic (where they are not charged live) and Static (where they are credited back on the bill). Both share the same EDF FreePhase green amber red bands: a cheap Green rate overnight, a standard Amber rate across the day and evening, and a higher Red rate from 4pm to 7pm. Dynamic refreshes the band rates day-ahead with the wholesale market, so the headline unit rates change daily and vary by region. Static fixes them for 12 months.
The mechanism either way is the same: shift loads out of the Red window and into Green, and you pay less per kWh on the share of usage you move - versus a flat-rate fix that charges the same rate all day.
Current rates and postcode coverage: EDF FreePhase rates are regional. Dynamic rates also refresh day-ahead. For the unit rates that will apply at your address on either version, check EDF's official FreePhase product page.
How SwitchInsights analysed EDF FreePhase
SwitchInsights compared both versions of EDF FreePhase against the Ofgem-confirmed Q3 2026 price cap and against the leading half-hourly UK time-of-use tariff (Octopus Agile). The SwitchPilot Score combines price (40%), Citizens Advice rating (15%), Ofgem complaints record (15%), Trustpilot reviews (15%), price certainty (10%) and exit-fee freedom (5%) - weighted across all six factors and scored against the published Ofgem cap. This SwitchInsights review covers the FreePhase tariff structure for both Dynamic and Static, the free electricity hours mechanism, eligibility, and the choice between the two versions for different household types - structural details only, with no region-specific pence rates published in the body because they refresh daily on Dynamic and vary by postcode on both.
What is the EDF FreePhase tariff?
EDF FreePhase is the headline EDF three-rate tariff for 2026 - an EDF time of use tariff that charges three different unit rates at fixed times of day. Overnight demand falls while wind generation often keeps running, so wholesale prices drop and EDF passes that through as a cheap Green rate. The late-afternoon peak tightens the grid and becomes the Red rate.
EDF sells the same three-band shape in two versions: FreePhase Dynamic, where the band rates move daily with the wholesale market, and FreePhase Static, where the band rates are fixed for 12 months.
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The EDF FreePhase Green band covers seven hours overnight, Amber covers the 14 standard-rate hours either side of peak, and Red is the three-hour 4pm-7pm crunch. The same EDF FreePhase green amber red bands apply on both versions.
On top of the bands, FreePhase adds free electricity periods whenever the wholesale market goes negative - typically high-wind, low-demand periods - with a day's text notice so loads can be moved in. FreePhase Dynamic delivers those windows by not charging usage live; FreePhase Static delivers the same value as a credit back on the bill.
EDF FreePhase standing charge - applies to both versions: The EDF FreePhase standing charge is the standard daily charge, the same as any other electricity tariff. The free electricity hours and the cheap Green-band rate sit on top of that fixed daily cost, not in place of it. The EDF FreePhase standing charge is the same on Dynamic and Static.
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EDF is the UK's biggest generator of zero-carbon electricity and one of Britain's largest suppliers. Both FreePhase versions carry no exit fees, and FreePhase Dynamic adds a contractual per-kWh price ceiling as a worst-case floor on the daily wholesale rates - so the upside is free hours and a cheap overnight rate, with limited downside if it does not suit your pattern. Static suits households who want full price certainty over headline savings.
Switch to EDF FreePhase →How EDF free electricity hours work on Dynamic and Static
Free electricity windows trigger when wholesale electricity prices on the day-ahead market go below zero - usually overnight or at weekends with high wind output and low demand. The trigger is the same for both versions of EDF FreePhase.
The delivery is where they differ. On FreePhase Dynamic, the unit rate for usage during the flagged window drops to zero on the bill as the hours land. On FreePhase Static, the usage during the same window is billed at the fixed band rate first and then credited back on the next bill, so the household ends up paying nothing for the same kWh.
EDF sends a text the day before each free window opens on either version. Households can stack washing, dishwashing, immersion heating, EV charging or anything else that bends to a schedule into the free period. Customers who never check the messages still benefit from the cheap Green band overnight - the free hours stack on top.
EDF FreePhase eligibility
Both versions of EDF FreePhase require a second-generation smart meter (SMETS2) because billing depends on half-hourly consumption data. An older SMETS1 meter or no smart meter rules you out until one is installed, and EDF arranges installation as part of the switch at no extra cost. Postcode coverage is not yet universal, so the EDF FreePhase signup page checks your area before you commit and lets you pick Dynamic or Static at sign-up.
Already an EDF customer? With a SMETS2 meter and a standard EDF tariff, you can often move to either FreePhase version from inside your EDF online account without a full supplier switch.
EDF FreePhase Dynamic vs Static
EDF sells FreePhase in two versions, and both get the headline free electricity hours. FreePhase Dynamic moves the three band rates daily with the day-ahead wholesale market, delivers free hours by not charging usage live in the flagged window, and writes a contractual per-kWh price ceiling into the contract as a worst-case floor.
FreePhase Static fixes the three band rates for 12 months at sign-up for full price certainty, and delivers free hours as a credit back on the bill instead of zeroing them live. Both are exit-fee-free, both need a SMETS2 meter, and both share the same Green-Amber-Red bands.
| Feature | FreePhase Dynamic | FreePhase Static |
|---|---|---|
| Free electricity hours | Yes, not charged live | Yes, credited on the bill |
| Free-hours trigger | Wholesale price negative | Wholesale price negative |
| Three-band rate behaviour | Refreshes day-ahead | Fixed for 12 months |
| Cheaper when wholesale dips | Yes | No, rates are fixed |
| Worst-case wholesale exposure | Capped by contract | None |
| Standing charge | Same as a standard tariff | Same as a standard tariff |
| SMETS2 smart meter | Required | Required |
| Exit fees | None | None |
| Best suited to | Engaged households, EV owners | Set-and-forget, certainty-first |
Which version of EDF FreePhase suits you
Pick FreePhase Dynamic if you can shift load. EV owners, anyone with delay-timer appliances, immersion-heater households, and engaged customers who do not mind that the band rates refresh daily.
The headline upside lives here. The free hours are not charged live, the cheap Green band rewards overnight shifting, and the wholesale-tracking means good market days flow straight to the bill. The per-kWh price ceiling is the contractual safety net.
Pick FreePhase Static if you want certainty. Static gives you the same Green-Amber-Red bands and the same free electricity hours, but the band rates are locked for 12 months.
You still get the credit-back when wholesale goes negative, you still keep load out of the Red peak, and you do not have to think about a wholesale rate that printed yesterday. This is the set-and-forget pick for households that value predictability over chasing wholesale upside.
For most engaged households reading this SwitchInsights review, Dynamic is the stronger pick - free hours plus wholesale upside outweigh the variability, with the per-kWh price ceiling as a contractual floor. For households who want a flat ToU bill with no wholesale guesswork, Static is the right answer in our SwitchInsights analysis of the FreePhase range.
How the EDF FreePhase bill is calculated
Both versions of FreePhase bill usage at three different unit rates depending on the time of day - Green overnight, Amber across the standard daytime and evening, and Red at peak. Every kWh consumed in the Green window is billed at the cheapest rate; every kWh consumed in Red is billed at the dearest. A flagged free window during a negative-wholesale period either bills the kWh at zero (on Dynamic) or applies the equivalent credit back on the bill (on Static), on top of the band structure.
So the annual bill comes down to two things: how much of your total usage falls in each band, and what the band rates happen to be where you live. The first you can control - by moving dishwashers and washing machines onto delay timers, scheduling EV charging overnight, and shifting hot-water heating into the Green window.
The second depends on your postcode and, on Dynamic, the wholesale price that printed yesterday. On Static the band rates are fixed for 12 months so you only need to look them up once. Because of that, a flat "FreePhase saves £X a year" figure is not meaningful - the answer depends on the version you pick, your postcode, and your half-hourly usage pattern.
For the rates that will apply at your address on either version, EDF's FreePhase product page runs an eligibility and pricing check off your postcode before you commit.
EDF FreePhase vs a fixed tariff
Fixed tariffs appeal because they are simple. One unit rate, charged the same way at every hour of the day, for the contract term. FreePhase does the opposite on either version - the unit rate is cheaper than a mid-market fix during the Green window, around a mid-market fix in Amber, and dearer than a fix in the Red peak.
The trade-off lives in those three bands. Add the free electricity hours - free on Dynamic, credited back on Static - and the upside leans toward FreePhase if you can shift load.
| Factor | EDF FreePhase (Dynamic or Static) | Fixed tariff |
|---|---|---|
| Rate structure | Three bands that vary by time of day | One flat rate across the whole day |
| Cheapest unit cost | Green band overnight | The single flat unit rate |
| Free electricity hours | Yes on both versions (negative-wholesale trigger) | No free hours feature |
| Exit fees | None on either version | Often apply during the fix |
| Smart meter required | SMETS2 required on both versions | No smart meter required |
| Behaviour change needed | Shift loads out of the Red peak to save | No behaviour change needed |
EDF FreePhase vs Octopus Agile
EDF FreePhase vs Octopus Agile is the other comparison that matters. Agile prices change every 30 minutes off the wholesale market, and households willing to automate around half-hourly prices can ride the dips.
FreePhase is the simpler choice on either version: a flat band rate during each of the three windows, free electricity flagged by text the day before, and no automation needed. The Dynamic-vs-Static decision sits inside FreePhase, not across to Agile. See the SwitchInsights cheapest time of day to use electricity guide for a side-by-side of major UK time-of-use tariffs, and the SwitchInsights Octopus Energy review for how Agile sits inside the rest of the Octopus tariff range.
EDF FreePhase pros and cons: who should switch
The tariff works best on either version when a meaningful share of consumption moves to the 11pm-6am Green window. For EV drivers that share is large by default, which is why EDF FreePhase is widely treated as the best EV tariff UK 2026 has on offer for households that do not want to automate around half-hourly prices. Dynamic captures the maximum upside; Static captures the same upside as a credit and trades a little of it for full price certainty over 12 months.
EV owners charging overnight. Dishwashers and washing machines on delay timers. Immersion heaters on a timer. High overnight base load such as a server, aquarium, dehumidifier or electric storage heating, picking Dynamic for full wholesale upside or Static for the same load-shifting savings with locked band rates.
Cooking, showering and heating that routinely runs 4pm-7pm. Young families with early-evening peaks. Anyone unable to shift at least a quarter of usage out of the Red band will usually do better on a fixed deal regardless of which FreePhase version they pick.
The Red band is the risk on both versions - the per-kWh rate during 4pm-7pm sits above a typical flat-rate fix, so unavoidable peak use eats into the gains from the Green window. Open your smart meter app and check 4pm-7pm use for a typical weekday.
If that window is low or shiftable, EDF FreePhase suits you. If it is high and stuck there, a flat-rate fix is the safer pick - our SwitchPilot tariff tracker alerts you when a fix below the Q3 2026 cap is live for your postcode.
SwitchInsights' take
For households with any flexibility - an EV, an immersion heater, delay-timer appliances - EDF FreePhase is the standout mainstream EDF smart tariff 2026 has on offer. Both versions deliver free electricity hours on the same negative-wholesale trigger, both share the same Green-Amber-Red bands, and both are exit-fee-free.
For most engaged households, FreePhase Dynamic is the stronger pick - free hours not charged live, wholesale upside on the daily band rates, and a contractual per-kWh price ceiling as the worst-case floor. For households who want a flat ToU bill with no daily wholesale guesswork, FreePhase Static is the certainty answer - same free hours, delivered as a bill credit, with the three band rates locked for 12 months.
For the unit rates that will apply at your address on either version, check the live numbers on EDF's FreePhase product page before you commit.
EDF FreePhase FAQ
How does EDF FreePhase work?
EDF FreePhase is a three-rate time-of-use electricity tariff available in two versions, Dynamic and Static. Both share the EDF FreePhase green amber red bands - Green overnight (11pm-6am), Amber across the standard daytime and evening (6am-4pm and 7pm-11pm), and Red at peak (4pm-7pm).
Both versions also include free electricity periods whenever the wholesale market goes negative because of surplus renewables, with EDF flagging each window by text the day before.
What is the difference between FreePhase Dynamic and FreePhase Static?
FreePhase Dynamic moves the three band rates daily with the day-ahead wholesale market under a contractual per-kWh price ceiling, and free electricity hours are not charged live during the window. FreePhase Static fixes the three band rates for 12 months at sign-up for full price certainty, and free electricity hours are credited back on the bill instead of zeroing them live. Both versions share the same band structure and trigger free hours on the same wholesale signal.
How do the EDF FreePhase free electricity hours work?
EDF FreePhase free electricity hours trigger whenever the day-ahead wholesale price goes negative - typically when high wind or solar output meets low demand. EDF sends a text the day before each free window on either version. On Dynamic the usage in the window is not charged live; on Static the equivalent value is credited back on the bill. Run washing, dishwashing, EV charging or hot-water heating in those windows at zero net unit cost, on top of the cheap overnight Green band.
Who is EDF FreePhase for and will it save me money?
EDF FreePhase saves money when a meaningful share of usage shifts into the overnight Green band and the flagged free hours, and out of the late-afternoon Red band. Households that can move dishwashers, washing machines, immersion heaters or EV charging into the cheap window pay less per kWh on the share of usage they shift.
Households with heavy unavoidable 4pm-7pm consumption pay more on that share and are usually better off on a flat-rate fix. Dynamic rates are regional and refresh day-ahead; Static rates are fixed for 12 months - either way, check current rates for your postcode on EDF's FreePhase page before switching.
Is EDF FreePhase cheaper than Octopus Agile?
EDF FreePhase is the simpler tariff. Either version gives a flat Green-band rate overnight with no automation needed, plus free hours flagged by text the day before. Octopus Agile prices change every 30 minutes and can drop lower for households willing to actively manage their load - or spike when wholesale prices climb. FreePhase suits households that want predictable bands; Agile rewards customers who automate around half-hourly prices.
Are there exit fees on EDF FreePhase?
No. Both EDF FreePhase Dynamic and FreePhase Static are exit-fee-free, so you can leave for another EDF tariff or supplier without penalty on either version.
Does EDF FreePhase have a standing charge?
Yes. Both versions of EDF FreePhase carry the standard daily standing charge, the same as any other electricity tariff. The Green-band rate and the free electricity hours sit on top of that fixed daily cost, not in place of it.
Is EDF FreePhase the best EV tariff UK 2026 has?
EDF FreePhase is one of the strongest mainstream picks for EV drivers charging overnight without wanting to automate around half-hourly prices, because the Green band overnight is the cheapest window for shifting load and both versions also stack the flagged free hours on top. EV drivers willing to automate may prefer Octopus Intelligent Go.
How to switch to EDF FreePhase
Start on the EDF FreePhase signup page. Enter postcode and current supplier, pick Dynamic or Static, confirm a SMETS2 meter, and EDF handles the rest in around 5 working days.