Before turning on the heating: how to read your electricity bill and choose a plan that suits your home

A plan with a nighttime discount can look excellent until you discover that the heating and water heater run mainly in the evening, before the discount starts. To reduce your winter electricity bill, check two things together: how much electricity your home uses and when the supplier's discount applies.

Start with the bill and meter type, then move on to heating and hot water. No single plan suits every home, and no single heating time suits every water heater. This is general consumer information, not financial advice or a substitute for having an electrical system checked by an appropriately licensed professional.

Read the consumption figure before comparing the cost

Open the bill and look for the billing period and consumption in kWh, or kilowatt-hours. The amount payable alone is not enough for a comparison: a longer billing period, an outstanding balance or a correction can change it even if your habits have barely changed.

Check whether the meter reading is actual or estimated. If the bill uses an estimate, do not immediately conclude that a particular appliance caused the increase. Match the meter and contract numbers to your home details, and look on the bill for instructions on submitting a reading or making an inquiry. Keep the bill and a photograph of the reading if a discrepancy needs resolving.

Separate consumption charges from fixed charges, and check how VAT is shown. Comparing a tax-inclusive line with one that excludes tax is pointless. When you switch suppliers, the way the bill's lines are arranged may also change; a sound comparison adds up the corresponding components before checking the difference.

Gather more than one bill to get an initial picture. A summer bill with air conditioning and a bill from a milder season are not accurate winter forecasts, but they can show whether an increase reflects higher consumption or simply a different billing period. Note any changes at home beside each bill, such as working from home or adding an appliance.

Which plans can you actually compare?

Electricity supply is open to competition, and even a basic meter need not exclude you from comparing options. The Electricity Authority's information on electricity supply provides a regulatory starting point. In practice, whether a plan suits you also depends on your meter type and the company's written offer.

Bezeq energy offers a fixed plan called Khoskhim Khakham 24/7 (Smart Savings 24/7), alongside daytime and nighttime plans for smart-meter customers. Its published information says the daytime plan gives a 15% discount Sunday to Thursday between 07:00 and 17:00; the nighttime plan gives 20% between 23:00 and 07:00 the following day, on the specified days and subject to the agreement's holiday exclusions. The discount applies to the consumption component, not the entire bill.

Super Power, part of the Electra Group, offers a Power plan with a fixed 6.5% discount for all meter types. Its website also lists Day and Night Plus plans with discounts of up to 21% for smart-meter customers: daytime between 07:00 and 17:00 and nighttime between 23:00 and 07:00, Sunday to Thursday, subject to the agreement. Before choosing an offer, check its exclusions and fixed charges too.

These are examples for comparison, not a list of every supplier in Israel. They range from a fixed single-digit discount to a larger discount during a limited window. Commercial terms can change. Before signing up, request a written offer specifying the discount rate, days, hours, holidays, validity period, payment terms and cancellation conditions.

Do not settle for a label such as Family Plan or Night Plan. Ask when the window starts, whether weekends are included and what happens outside it. If you receive a social discount or have a special billing arrangement, request an explicit explanation of how they work together. An offer for another household does not tell you what your own bill will be.

Compare plans against consumption in four steps

• Identify your meter type and current plan. If you are unsure, check with your supplier or the Israel Electric Corporation rather than assuming a digital display alone proves the meter is suitable for every plan.
• Gather the available consumption data, and examine the hourly breakdown if you have a smart meter. Pay particular attention to heating, hot water and activities that can safely be rescheduled.
• Request at least two written offers and compare them on the same basis: the same consumption, period and billing components. Ask each company to explain which hours are not discounted.
• Calculate the discount on the eligible portion only, and check the total after fixed charges. Keep the terms and check them again on the first bill after switching.

A purely numerical example makes this clear: if 30% of consumption falls within a window offering a 20% discount, the saving is 6% of the consumption component, assuming there is no discount at other times. That is still not a 6% saving on the whole bill, which may include other components. These example figures are not a forecast for any particular home.

Do not base your comparison on changes you will not make. If an activity cannot safely and conveniently be moved to nighttime, calculate it at its current time. A plan that looks cheaper only after major changes to family habits may be less useful than a smaller discount that fits your existing routine.

Heating: consider the room and the appliance

An air conditioner in heating mode works as a heat pump, so comparing it with a radiator or fan heater involves more than the wattage on the label. The Israel Electric Corporation explained an air conditioner's advantage in heat output relative to energy consumption in a technical publication. The operating-cost tables in that publication are old and are not current tariffs for this winter.

For a practical choice, establish which room needs heating, for how long and whether your existing appliance suits it. A functioning air conditioner sized for the space may be a good starting point for prolonged heating. A local heater can meet a different need, but do not assume a radiator is more economical simply because it is quiet or feels comfortable nearby.

The number on an appliance does not always represent continuous consumption throughout its operating time. The thermostat, outdoor conditions, temperature setting and appliance condition affect actual operation. Avoid multiplying the maximum power rating by every hour of the day and presenting the result as a precise forecast bill.

Choose a comfortable temperature, avoid heating unused rooms and maintain appliances according to the manufacturer's instructions. There is no need to buy a new appliance before checking whether a simple change in use solves the problem. Purchase, installation and maintenance are part of the cost of your choice, even if they do not appear on the next electricity bill.

The water heater: schedule it around the hot water you need

With a solar water heater, the need for electric backup also depends on sunshine and how much hot water has already been used. With an electric water heater, heating time depends partly on tank capacity, water temperature and the quantity required. A fixed recommendation to switch it on for ten minutes or an hour therefore does not automatically suit every home.

Start with a simple record of shower routines and operating times, without opening a cover, adjusting a thermostat or going onto the roof. The aim is to spot unnecessary extended operation, or repeated operation because nobody knows the heater has already been on. Coordinating within the household may be more useful than another smart switch.

A suitable timer can help control operating time, but selecting and installing it requires attention to the load and system. Do not connect a water heater to a random accessory or smart socket merely because it is marketed as an electricity saver. Changes to electrical connections should be made by an electrician with the appropriate license, following the system's instructions.

If heating becomes slower than usual, a leak appears or there is an electrical fault, do not compensate by routinely extending the operating time. Arrange a professional inspection. Scheduling operation for discounted hours must also be considered against when the water will be used: switching on very early just to obtain a discount is not necessarily the right choice for your home.

Common mistakes that undermine the comparison

The first is treating a consumption discount as though it applies to the entire bill. The second is including hours and weekends outside the plan. The third is comparing bills for different periods without adjusting the number of days and consumption. Any of these can turn an apparently clear comparison into a misleading conclusion.

Another mistake is using more electricity simply because it costs less at a particular time. Discounted electricity still costs money. If an activity is unnecessary, moving it into a discount window does not make it a saving. First decide what use is needed, then check whether it can be scheduled differently without compromising safety or convenience.

Do not leave a heater close to a blanket, curtain or furniture, and do not cover heating appliances. Keep them away from flammable materials and follow the appliance's operating instructions. A nighttime plan is no reason to leave an appliance running unattended contrary to its instructions. If you notice a burning smell, a hot socket or a damaged cable, stop using it and arrange an inspection.

After switching, check what actually happened

Switching suppliers does not replace the electricity network serving your home. In the supplier examples reviewed, the Israel Electric Corporation remains the contact for network faults through its 103 hotline; billing and discount inquiries go to the company issuing the bill. Keep confirmation of the switch and its start date so you know which part of the period each supplier should bill.

On the first bill, check that the correct plan was applied, the discount was given during the promised hours and the readings match the period. If there is a discrepancy, contact the company with the account number, dates and organized documentation, and request a written explanation or correction. Do not infer an entire winter's outcome from a single short bill.

After a representative period, return to the data and check whether the plan still suits you. Working from home, changing shower times or heating another room can change the picture. Keep the review simple: consumption, hours, terms and actual cost. That helps you choose an approach you can maintain once winter begins.