Scottish gymnasts soar across the Glasgow skyline, as 81% of Brits reveal they're happiest during life’s off-peak moments

• Scottish gymnasts Aaron Convery and Indira Williams strike gravity-defying poses at dusk by Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, to celebrate life’s quieter, off-peak moments
• New research reveals that Britain is a nation of “off-peak performers”, finding joy in the calm of early mornings (51% early birds) or after the evening peak (29% night owls)
• Over half (53%) of Gen Z reveal they perform best after everyone else clocks off vs. a third (33%) of Boomers
• The majority (87%) of Brits say they'd happily move their appliance use to off-peak times of day if it saved them money
• As a Principal Partner of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games taking place from 23^rd July, EDF is encouraging households to explore how shifting everyday tasks to outside of peak times can save on bills

Scottish gymnasts, Aaron Convery and Indira Williams, took to the streets of Glasgow at sunset, striking gravity-defying poses at one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. At the Riverside Museum, the gymnasts brought the power of flexibility to life, encouraging customers to embrace off-peak moments and reap the rewards of flexible electricity use through offers like EDF’s FreePhase tariff.

This comes as new research commissioned by EDF, a Principal Partner of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, found that Britain is a nation of “off-peak performers”, with over half (51%) of responders identifying as early birds and 29% as night owls. In fact, 81% of Brits revealed they are happiest during life’s quieter, off-peak moments. 

Brits go off-peak with favourite pastimes 

The study of 2,000 adults uncovered the off-peak habits Brits carve out during the quieter parts of the day, from watching TV or streaming shows once everyone else has gone to bed (78%), having a cup of tea or coffee before anyone else is awake (78%) and secretly scrolling social media after saying they were "going to sleep" (68%).

Gen Z lead the off-peak wellness trend

The research revealed a generational divide in how Brits use their off-peak time. While the rest of Britain is winding down, Gen Z are just getting started; over two in five (44%) call themselves night owls, significantly higher than the national rate (29%), and nearly twice as many as Boomers (25%). It's paying off, too, as 53% of Gen Z say they perform best after everyone else has clocked off, compared to just a third of Boomers (33%).

Gen Z are far more likely than Boomers to turn quiet off-peak moments into a wellness ritual, whether that's following a guided meditation (63% vs 38%), streaming a yoga class (48% vs 19%), journaling (52% vs 24%), or having a late-night bath for uninterrupted peace (81% vs 51%). 

There's a gender divide too, with women notably more likely than men to secretly scroll social media after saying they were "going to sleep" (74% vs 61%) and to dance or sing around the house when nobody's watching (69% vs 56%).

The positive impact of off-peak living 

For 38% of the nation these quieter moments help them reset and recharge; 77% of Brits use them just to do something they love, while 58% say their best ideas come when there are fewer demands on their time.

For 79%, less than 40 minutes of calm at the beginning or end of the day helps them perform at their best, with these moments contributing to feeling more refreshed (39%), productive (33%), and positive (41%). 86% say they've deliberately waited for a quieter moment to tackle something important because they knew they'd do it better. 

School holidays make off-peak moments even more valuable for parents

With schools closed and family schedules packed with activities, quieter moments can be harder for parents to come by during the summer holidays. Among the 705 parents surveyed, 80% say they have developed a newfound appreciation for the quieter “off-peak” moments, whether that’s before the household wakes up or after the evening rush has settled. 

Additionally, 66% of parents say these moments help them enjoy the school holidays more. A third (33%) say even a brief period of peace helps them stay calm under pressure and over a quarter (29%) say it helps them manage their time more effectively.

For households looking to build more of these moments into their day, EDF is encouraging its customers to shift their electricity use away from peak hours to off-peak hours to save money or earn rewards. Many parents say they already run appliances later in the evening (27%), get organised before the household wakes up (42%), or prep meals earlier in the day so evenings can be spent enjoying the outdoors (35%) and other activities together.

Dame Denise Lewis, Olympic and Commonwealth Games Champion, said: “As a Commonwealth athlete, I learned that success isn't just about performing at your best - it's about knowing when to push and when to recharge. Preparing to compete in major sporting events has taught me that those quieter, off-peak moments were just as important as the hard work. As a parent, I still rely on that same flexibility every day. Small changes to our routines, like using less electricity at busier times and saving where we can, can make life feel that little bit easier, giving us more time and energy for what matters most.”

Joe Souto, Director of Retail at EDF, added: “Our research shows that people are already embracing those quieter ‘off-peak’ moments in everyday life, carving out a little time to reset before taking on whatever comes next. As a Principal Partner of Glasgow 2026, EDF celebrated the spirit of flexibility through gymnastics displays in the city, with Aaron and Indira reminding us that embracing small changes to when we do everyday tasks can really pay off. By shifting electricity use away from peak times, customers can save money and even unlock benefits, including free electricity through our Flex offers.”

This shift is one that many are already eager to make, with 87% of Brits saying they'd happily move their appliance use to off-peak times of day if it saved them money or earned them rewards, and EDF's time-of-use tariffs make it easier than ever.

The time-of-use tariffs include GoElectric, EDF’s leading EV tariff, that offers seven hours of off-peak electricity between 11pm and 6am¹, and FreePhase which gives customers three pricing rates to easily track and adapt electricity use to help lower their bills and benefit from off-peak moments throughout the day².

Brits’ Top 10 Off-Peak Habits

1. Watching TV or streaming shows once everyone else has gone to bed (78%)
2. Having a cup of tea or coffee before anyone else is awake (78%)
3. Secretly scrolling social media after saying they were "going to sleep” (68%) 
4. Sneaking in a treat, takeaway or snack they don't have to share (67%)
5. Squeezing in household chores before work (66%)
6. Reading a book without anyone interrupting them (65%)
7. Having a late-night bath or shower just for some uninterrupted peace (64%)
8. Dancing or singing around the house when nobody else is there (63%)
9. Listening to their favourite music or podcast as loud as they want (62%)
10. Catching up on work so the next day is easier (62%).

To find out more about EDF’s sponsorship of Glasgow 2026 and how customers can flex their electricity on its time-of-use tariffs, visit the website.

¹ EDF offers off-peak electricity at just 6.99p/kWh from 11 pm to 6 am every night on all EDF’s EV tariffs, including GoElectric

² EDF’s FreePhase tariff uses three price bands: Red: 4 pm–7 pm (peak) – the most expensive time to use electricity; Amber: 6 am–4 pm & 7 pm–11 pm (mid) – medium price; Green: 11 pm–6 am (off-peak) – generally the cheapest time of day.

* Research among a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults, of which 705 were parents of school-aged children, conducted by 3Gem in July 2026.