How to make your car charge only at night: the timer in the car and on the charger

A car you plug in at six in the evening starts charging at six in the evening. If the higher tariff still applies then, you pay for more expensive electricity during hours that change nothing, because the car stays parked until morning anyway.

A timer solves this without you waking up at midnight. Below are the lower-tariff hours, the settings in the car and on the charger, and a first-night check. If you don't have a permanent charging spot yet, first see what your garage.

The lower tariff depends on the area you live in

According to EPS data reported by the media, the lower tariff lasts eight hours everywhere, but it does not start at the same time everywhere:

• Belgrade: from midnight to 8 a.m.
• Vojvodina: from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• Central Serbia: from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

These times apply all year round, under both summer and winter time. The lower-tariff hours do not move when the clocks change, so you set the timer once.

The hours are set by the distribution area, not by the city on your address. If you live on the edge of an area or are not sure, ask Elektrodistribucija or check the notice that comes with your bill.

A night kWh costs a quarter of a day kWh

Under the EPS price list in effect since October 1, 2025, the energy price without fees and VAT is four times lower in the lower tariff than in the higher one:

• green zone: 9.6136 RSD in the higher and 2.4034 RSD in the lower tariff per kWh
• blue zone: 14.4203 RSD in the higher and 3.6051 RSD in the lower tariff per kWh
• red zone: 28.8407 RSD in the higher and 7.2102 RSD in the lower tariff per kWh

Grid fees and VAT come on top of that, so the difference on the bill is less than four times, but it stays large. By Evolako's calculation, a night kWh in the blue zone costs about 6 RSD with all fees and VAT.

A car charged at home can easily push a household from the green zone into the blue one. That is why as much of that charging as possible should fall into the lower tariff.

The timer in the car: start time or departure time

Most electric cars offer two modes. The first is a fixed start: the car starts charging at the set time and charges up to the limit you chose. The second is departure time: you say when you need the car, and it works out when to start.

For the lower tariff, a fixed start is better. With departure time and a nearly empty battery, the car may calculate a start before the lower tariff, so you pay more for part of the electricity.

On a Tesla, you set the schedule under Controls, then Schedule. Enter a start time, for example 11 p.m. in Vojvodina, and leave the end time empty. The car saves a schedule for each location, so it applies when you come home, and you set a separate one for another place.

Tesla also notes something useful: with no end time set, the car still starts charging if you plug it in up to six hours after the scheduled start. If you get home at one in the morning, charging starts on its own.

On Kia models, the setting is in the electric vehicle menu, under the off-peak time item. There you enter the lower-tariff hours and choose one of two options:

• Off-peak prioritized: the car starts in the lower tariff, but may continue after it until the battery is full.
• Off-peak only: the car charges only during those hours, so the battery sometimes does not fill up completely.

On other brands, the option is usually called scheduled charging, timer or departure time and sits in the charging menu or the manufacturer's app. The exact path is in the manual for your model.

The timer on the charger and why you need only one

A wallbox with an app usually has its own charging schedule. That is handy when the car lacks a good timer or when two cars of different brands share the same charger.

Set a schedule in one place only. If both the car and the charger have a timer, the car can easily wait for its time while the charger is not supplying power, and you wake up to an empty battery.

On a reinforced socket with a portable cable, you set the timer in the car. A mechanical or digital timer between the socket and the cable is not a good solution, because it is one more connection under full load for hours.

On the first night, check that charging really starts on time

• In the car or charger app, see when charging started and when it ended.
• Check that the clock in the car is right, especially after the switch to winter or summer time.
• If charging only in the lower tariff matters to you, set the start a few minutes after the tariff begins, because the car's clock and the meter's clock may not be perfectly in sync.
• After the first month, compare higher- and lower-tariff consumption on your bill.

If the charger is powered from the building's shared meter, that meter's tariff applies, not your apartment's. In that case only a separate meter at your spot shows your share of the consumption.

Evolako START has a MID meter at your space, and with WALLBOX you can add one (RSD 104,000), so you see exactly how much electricity your car took. All packages are on the page packages and prices.

Sources

• Kurir — During these hours electricity is cheaper: the night tariff is not the same for everyone, 05.01.2026
• N1 — How do I know when electricity is cheap, 19.08.2026
• Danas — Electricity more expensive from today: the new price list by tariffs and zones, 01.10.2025
• Tesla — Model Y owner's manual, scheduled charging and preconditioning
• Kia — owner's manual, off-peak time settings
• Kia — owner tips, scheduled charging in the off-peak tariff

This guide was written with the help of AI tools based on the sources listed and was last checked on October 6, 2026. If you spot an error or have newer data, let us know at hello@evolako.com — we publish corrections with a date.