Dynamic rates gadget: with which one can you take maximum advantage?

Dynamic tariffs, which you benefit from by purchasing electricity when the tariff is low, are becoming increasingly popular. Which dynamic rates gadget can you benefit from?

Profit in a way where everyone wins

You won’t have missed it: our power grid is increasingly burdened by peaks and troughs. This is because solar panels and wind turbines generate energy at times when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing hard. These are often different times than the times when we need power.

A good solution to this problem is to only use power at a time when a lot of power is being generated, for example when there is a strong breeze or when the sun is shining brightly. If you also have a dynamic power contract, where the price changes per hour, you also benefit fully yourself and you do not pass the bill to someone else, as is the case with net metering.

Gadgets for dynamic energy tariffs

Of course you can’t keep an eye on the electricity price right now, but luckily there are all kinds of handy gadgets imaginable. Consider, for example, a smart time clock that switches on the device it is connected to when the energy is cheap.

At the moment there is only one such price-controlled switch for sale, the Ecosoft EcoSwitch Plus (€ 69). Also for sale are several, cheaper switches that you can operate via WiFi from a smartphone app. And providers such as EnergyZero, Frank Energie, NieuweStroom, easyEnergy and Tibber will notify you via their app when the electricity price is low. You yourself are then the “price-driven element”, because at that moment you can, for example, switch on the washing machine, a home battery or the dryer.

The gadgets we describe now take these limitations into account. Hopefully, in the future there will also be possibilities to control these switches directly via a home automation system such as Google Nest or Amazon Alexa, for example. At the moment that is theoretically possible for a techie and a fun hobby project.

Ecosoft EcoSwitch Plus dynamic rates gadget

The only switch that fetches the lowest price via the internet, without the intervention of a home automation system, is the Ecosoft Ecoswitch Plus (€70). This switch from the Dutch company Ecosoft is very useful for, for example, hooking up recognized power guzzlers such as a clothes dryer, a washing machine, an electric water heater, swimming pool or pond pumps, electric scooters or water beds, or even an electric car.

Every day this switch retrieves the prices for the next day via the internet. The expected prices are reasonably known thanks to the weather forecast. That makes it possible to plan a day ahead. For real power guzzlers, who use several kilowatt hours per day, this can make a huge difference in costs. Keep in mind that you must have the internet permanently on, which is the case if you have a fixed internet connection.

WiFi and internet switches

WiFi switches can be operated directly via your phone when you are at home. That makes them a possible dynamic rates gadget. But what if you are somewhere else, and you want to turn on your washing machine from where you are, for example, because you see that the electricity costs are very low? Then you can do this via the home automation system, in combination with a WiFi switch. However, your home automation system must be equipped with a permanent internet connection.

If you have a fixed internet connection, that’s no problem. All major well-known home automation brands support communication via the internet. This applies, for example, to Google Nest, Alexa from Amazon, Apple HomeKit and Homey. Then you can control your devices from a distance. A home automation system costs several hundred euros. Is your energy consumption not very high? Then the payback period is too long.

Do you already have a home automation system, or do you only operate your devices from home? Then you can buy these ‘smart’ plugs from €15-€30 and connect them to your system. Please note whether the plug you buy is compatible with your home automation system or whether it comes with an app that you can install on your smartphone.

What is the best dynamic rates gadget?

Do you have fixed internet at home, and some large power consumers? Then it is best to go for the Ecosoft Ecoswitch Plus. With a dynamic contract you will have this out in a few years, perhaps sooner. Do you have a home automation system, or do you mainly operate your equipment from home? Then WiFi-operated ‘smart plugs’ are a cheaper alternative.