A strategy for volt/VAr control in distribution systems is described. The aim is todetermine optimum dispatch schedules for on-load tap changer (OLTC) settings at substations andall shunt capacitor switching based on the day-ahead load forecast. To reduce switching operationsfor OLTC at substations, a time-interval based control strategy is adopted that decomposes a dailyload forecast into several sequential load levels. A genetic algorithm based procedure is used todetermine both the load level partitioning and the dispatch scheduling. The proposed strategyminimises the power loss and improves the voltage profile for a whole day across the whole system,whilst ensuring that the number of switching operations is less than the maximum daily allowance.A comparison of numerical studies and their associated results illustrates both the feasibility andthe effectiveness of the proposed strategy.