EDF FreePhase Dynamic review (August 2026)
Three daily electricity price bands that follow the wholesale market, published a day ahead on a twelve-month agreement with no exit fees.
Updated for August 2026
Tariff snapshot
The important details in one place
- Current tariff issue
- FreePhase Dynamic 12m v2
- EDF_FREEPHASE_DYNAMIC_12M_V2_HH
- Price changes
- Three bands each day
- Green, amber and red prices are published for the next day
- Against the price cap
- Choose a location
- Compares today’s regional average unit rate with the applicable cap rate
- Estimated annual cost
- Choose a location
- Shown after an electricity region is selected
Key tariff facts
- Green, amber and red prices are published for the next day
- Variable-rate tariff
- Compatible smart meter required
- Electricity tariff
- Regional unit rates and standing charges
The short answer
Who EDF FreePhase Dynamic is most likely to work for
FreePhase Dynamic is a wholesale-linked three-band tariff, and EDF publishing its rates openly is what makes a page like this possible at all. For a household with a battery, an electric car, or simply the discipline to keep the oven out of the early evening, it can come in below the cap.
What it does not do is fix anything. The twelve-month term fixes the agreement, not the price; the standing charge is reset quarterly and carries a service fee. Checking the daily bands and shifting flexible loads can improve the saving, but the live comparison is what decides whether it beats Standard Variable for a particular home.
FreePhase Dynamic splits each day into green, amber and red periods. The price for each band follows wholesale electricity costs and can change daily, with the next day’s bands published before they apply.
Wholesale electricity is settled in half-hours, but EDF averages those periods into three customer prices rather than billing 48 independent rates. The prices shown are regional, so a household in Yorkshire and one in London may not have the same rates.
In its favour
- Cheaper green and amber periods outside the evening peak
- Next-day prices published in advance, so you can plan
- No exit fees despite the twelve-month term
- Occasional free electricity sessions on top
Against it
- Expensive through the late-afternoon peak
- Needs a smart meter on half-hourly readings
- Standing charge is reset quarterly and includes a service fee
- Monthly bills move about, which suits some households and not others
- Electricity only — gas is a separate tariff
How it works
How EDF FreePhase Dynamic sets its prices
EDF publishes tomorrow’s green, amber and red prices ahead of use. Green runs overnight, red covers the 4pm to 7pm peak, and amber covers the remaining periods.
The three band prices are built from day-ahead wholesale prices rather than the Ofgem price cap, so a cheap or expensive wholesale day can change all three customer rates.
Your smart meter records when electricity was used and EDF applies the price for the band covering that time. The useful decision is how much usage can move from red into amber or green, not which one of 48 half-hours to choose.
On top of the daily band pricing, EDF runs occasional free electricity sessions — the "FreePhase" the tariff is named for. These are announced rather than scheduled, so they are a bonus to look out for rather than something to build a routine around.
The standing charge is reviewed every three months and includes a service fee. It can therefore move independently of the three daily unit rates.
Things to watch
The main trade-offs
The red band covers the late afternoon and early evening, which is when most homes want heat, light and dinner. That is the central risk of the tariff.
The twelve-month term does not fix your prices. It fixes the arrangement; the three band prices can change daily throughout.
The standing charge can change every three months and contains a service fee, so a like-for-like comparison against another tariff has to include it rather than stopping at the unit rate.
If your usage pattern does not change, a daily time-of-use tariff can cost more than the standard variable one it replaced.
Live tariff data
EDF FreePhase Dynamic prices for your area
Electricity rates and standing charges differ by distribution region. Enter your postcode or choose your electricity region before local figures are shown.
Practical advice
Getting the most out of EDF FreePhase Dynamic
Use the delay timers already in the machines
Load the dishwasher or washing machine in the evening and set the delay so it runs in the cheap overnight hours. This is the single change that moves the most consumption for the least effort, and it needs no new hardware.
Move the heat, not the lights
Lighting and televisions draw very little. It is the heat-generating appliances that matter — the oven, the kettle, the immersion heater, the tumble dryer. Shifting one oven-cooked meal out of the evening peak saves more than switching off every standby light in the house.
Automate the car
If you drive electric, set the car or charger to use the green overnight period. Charging is usually the biggest single load in the house and the easiest one to schedule.
Check tomorrow before you plan tomorrow
Next-day prices appear on this page as soon as EDF publishes them. A minute spent looking at the shape of tomorrow is what turns the tariff from a gamble into a plan.
Household fit
Who EDF FreePhase Dynamic might be good for
The right answer depends on your equipment, routine and tolerance for changing prices—not just how much electricity you use.
Likely to suit
- Households that can move heavy use — washing, drying, hot water and car charging — into the green or amber bands
- Electric vehicle owners who can charge in the green overnight period
- Homes with a battery that can be charged when prices are low
- People happy to look at prices most days and plan around them
Less likely to suit
- Households whose routine is fixed by work or care and cannot shift into the cheap hours
- Anyone who wants a predictable monthly bill more than a lower average one
- Homes without a smart meter on half-hourly readings
- Anyone who would find watching prices a chore rather than a habit
Before switching
Check the requirements and what will affect the result
What you need
- A smart meter sending half-hourly readings, since the tariff cannot be billed without them
- Payment by monthly Direct Debit
- An existing EDF electricity account, or joining EDF on Standard Variable while the meter checks are completed
- A twelve-month agreement, though with no exit fees it is a term rather than a lock-in
- Electricity only — gas is billed separately on another EDF tariff
- Available across Great Britain, at prices that differ by distribution region
What drives what you pay
- How much of your usage you can move from the red peak into the cheaper amber and green periods
- The shape of your day: a household out from nine until six is already avoiding the most expensive hours without trying
- Wholesale market conditions, which is why a windy week and a still cold snap produce completely different bills
- The standing charge, which applies every day whatever you do, and which is reset quarterly rather than fixed for the term
Match the tariff to your home
Your largest electrical loads can change the answer
A specialist tariff can be better aligned with one large device, but its eligibility and expensive periods still matter. These are comparisons to make, not automatic recommendations.
If you have an EV
EDF FreePhase Dynamic is already designed around electric-vehicle charging. Compare its cheap window, daytime rate, automation and compatibility with the alternatives before choosing.
If you have solar without a battery
The import tariff and the rate paid for exported electricity are separate decisions. A straightforward export tariff can be more useful than a peak-weighted battery tariff when generation is exported as it happens.
If you have solar and a home battery
EDF FreePhase Dynamic already targets a home with storage. Compare who controls the battery, the import/export bands and device compatibility rather than looking at one headline rate.
If you have a heat pump
EDF FreePhase Dynamic already accounts for heat-pump use. Compare its discounted periods, any peak penalty and how easily the building can retain heat between them.
Alternatives
Other smart tariffs from Octopus and EDF to compare
These are other smart-tariff comparisons from the two suppliers, not a claim that every option suits the same household.
Agile Octopus
Both follow day-ahead wholesale electricity, but the customer experience differs. Agile bills 48 half-hour prices; FreePhase Dynamic averages the market into three daily bands. FreePhase also adds occasional free electricity sessions and a standing charge reviewed quarterly. Compare the standing charges and the amount of flexibility each structure asks of you.
Review Agile OctopusEDF FreePhase Static
Same three-band structure, opposite trade. Static fixes its rates for the term; Dynamic republishes its green, amber and red prices each day. If you would not check the daily prices, Static will serve you better.
Review EDF FreePhase StaticEDF Standard Variable
Standard Variable is the flat capped baseline. FreePhase Dynamic can start below it on a particular day even before behaviour changes, while moving usage out of red periods can improve the result further. Use the live regional rates and your own consumption split rather than assuming either tariff always wins.
Review EDF Standard VariableAgile Octopus
Agile is the half-hourly wholesale-linked alternative. Compare the extra flexibility of 48 prices with FreePhase Dynamic’s simpler green, amber and red bands.
Review Agile OctopusOther EDF Energy tariff reviews
Browse every other EDF Energy tariff covered on Energy Review. Availability, eligibility and price structure are explained on each review.
Regional comparison
How prices differ across Great Britain
EDF FreePhase Dynamic unit rate and standing charge by region
The average price per unit on 2026-08-11, including VAT. The table also shows the daily standing charge.
Hover a region for its figure, or select one to load its prices.
Tap a region to load its prices.
| Region | Per kWh | Standing charge per day |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 23.78p | 64.4p |
| North East England | 23.88p | 64.3p |
| West Midlands | 24.00p | 59.7p |
| East Midlands | 24.19p | 53.6p |
| Southern Scotland | 24.29p | 64.2p |
| South West England | 24.30p | 57.9p |
| South East England | 24.86p | 54.4p |
| Southern England | 24.86p | 49.7p |
| South Wales | 24.87p | 57.8p |
| Eastern England | 25.07p | 53.9p |
| North West England | 25.19p | 47.6p |
| London | 25.87p | 44.8p |
| Merseyside and North Wales | 25.90p | 70.8p |
| Northern Scotland | 26.16p | 57.5p |
Northern Ireland has a separate electricity market and is not covered by these regions.
How to switch
Moving to EDF FreePhase Dynamic
- 1
Check first that you have a smart meter sending half-hourly readings. EDF can switch a meter from daily to half-hourly reads, but the tariff cannot bill without them.
- 2
Apply through EDF directly. A domestic switch usually completes within five working days.
- 3
There are no exit fees, so if daily-changing time-of-use pricing does not suit you in practice you can move away without penalty — worth knowing before you commit, because the twelve-month term reads like a lock-in and is not one.
Frequently asked questions
Does the twelve-month term mean my prices are fixed?
No. The term fixes the arrangement, not the price. EDF publishes new green, amber and red band prices for each day, and the standing charge is reviewed every three months.
What are the free electricity sessions?
EDF runs occasional periods where electricity is free on this tariff — the "FreePhase" in the name. They are announced rather than scheduled, so treat them as a bonus rather than something to plan around. The prices shown on this page are the published daily band rates and do not include any separate session credit.
Can I get gas on this tariff too?
No. FreePhase Dynamic is electricity only. You can still buy gas from EDF, but it will be priced on a separate tariff.
What happens if my smart meter stops sending readings?
A half-hourly tariff has to be billed from half-hourly data. EDF can estimate short gaps, but a meter that has stopped communicating altogether needs fixing rather than working around, and it is worth reporting quickly rather than waiting for a bill to look wrong.
Is there an exit fee if I leave early?
No. EDF publishes this tariff with no exit fees, so you can move away during the twelve months without a charge.