HOUSEHOLDS will be offered up to £100 by their energy supplier if they cut their use at peak times.
Households will be able to earn money for switching off their appliances during the night amid blackout warnings.
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The National Grid, which is responsible for the supply of gas and electricity in the UK, has warned there might not be enough power for winter.
The electricity network operator said the service has now been approved by the UK’s energy regulator Ofgem.
It is hoped that by paying people to charge their electric cars at off-peak times and firing up backup coal plants it can offset the risk of outages.
Only customers with smart meters will be able to take part.
Households participating through the programme will be sent a message from the network if there is increased pressure on the system.
It comes as the nation is battling a crippling energy crisis, partly due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The National Grid has therefore launched a new scheme, called the Demand Flexibility Scheme, which will start this month and end in March 2023.
The National Grid ESO previously told The Sun the £100 saving is based on households receiving £3 for every kilowatt-hour during the 12 test demonstrations.
The figure represents the electricity reductions the network thinks a typical household might be able to save.
But the exact saving, and how it is distributed to households, will depend on the individual energy suppliers.
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Households can sign up – but only if they have a working smart meter, which means the millions that don’t have one, or have issues with theirs, won’t be able to apply.
People are being encouraged to sign up with their electricity supplier so they can get money back on their bills.
To qualify, energy usage would need to be reduced in peak times such as 9am to 11am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm.
Customers will typically be notified via text message which days and exact times they can earn cash by reducing their usage.
Suppliers don’t have to take part in the scheme, but so far, four have confirmed they are running the offer.
Exactly how much you can earn will vary from supplier to supplier.
Here’s the full list:
British Gas
British Gas has confirmed it will be signing up to the Demand Flexibility Scheme.
A spokesperson confirmed to The Sun that it is working with the National Grid on what the offer to customers will look like.
As details are being thrashed out, there are no details on how much customers could earn by taking part.
We’ve asked for more information and will update this story when we know more.
British Gas said it is in a position to launch the scheme later this year.
Customers would need to reduce their energy by 30% in order to qualify for a bill discount.
EON
EON said it would be taking part in the Demand Flexibility Scheme.
It said it would be outlining details of the offer to customers soon.
The Sun asked for details on how much customers could earn, and we will update this story when we know more.
Octopus
Octopus Energy, the UK’s fourth largest supplier, says its 1.4million customers on smart meters and 5,000 of its business customers can save £100 by signing up to the scheme.
The supplier says more than than 350,000 customers have signed up to its flexibility service called Saving Sessions.
Customers will be paid an average of £4 per kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy they save compared to their normal usage during a certain timeframe.
Those interested in the scheme can register their interest here.
Customers who sign up will get a text telling them if they use less electricity between certain hours, and they’ll be paid later that day.
The exact amount you get paid will depend on how much you reduce your consumption in the specified hours.
Customers also have the option of donating their earnings through the scheme to the supplier’s financial hardship fund – Octo Assist.
Ovo
OVO Energy has announced a trial where customers can save up to £100 on their bills by switching their usage to less busy times of the day.
They’re asking those who take part to cut their average consumption between the peak hours of 4pm-7pm to less than 12.5%.
That’s the equivalent of moving three loads of washing each week from on-peak to off-peak hours.
It is in the process of contacting customers about the offer.
Households will be given £20 a month that they reduce their usage by 12.5% or more – this adds up to £100 if they achieve this every month from November through to March.
Who is not taking part?
A number of suppliers have still not confirmed whether they will sign up to the Demand Flexibility Scheme.
EDF told The Sun it had no update on what its decision would be in regards to taking part.
Shell Energy said it was “unlikely” it would take part in the trial.
Bulb confirmed that it wouldn’t be taking part.
We will update this article when we know more.
Is it safe to run appliances at night?
The charity Electrical Safety First has said that it’s essential households mitigate the risk of fire if they choose to leave their appliances on at night.
This is because if you do run your appliances at night, you are less likely to notice if something goes wrong – particularly if they catch fire.
Martyn Allen, technical director of Electrical Safety First, said: “Ensure your appliances are not subject to a recall, that cables are not damaged and that filters are regularly emptied to reduce a build up of lint.
“Finally, ensure you have a working smoke alarm on every floor in your house, it could save your life.”
What appliances could I switch off to reduce energy?
Oven
According to uSwitch, an electric oven powered at 0.97 kilowatts and used for 30 minutes costs roughly 18p.
If you used it for 30 minutes every day for a year, that would cost you roughly £66.
Washing machine
A household of two adults and two children does an average 468 loads of washing a year – equivalent to 1.3 loads a day.
For these households, the cost of running a washing machine costs an annual price of £159.12.
Slow cooker
Uswitch told The Sun that using a slow cooker for eight hours costs 92p.
If you ate a slow-cooked meal every day for a month, you’d fork out roughly £13.80.
Dishwasher
It costs roughly 27p to run a single dishwasher cycle.
So if you used it every day for a week, it would rack up over £12 a month.
Fridge
It costs about £56 a year, or 0.6p an hour, to run a fridge.
One reader was charged £470 by Ovo Energy to switch suppliers – and now he’s struggling.
Here’s how to get extra cash when the weather gets cold.
