Households are being urged to check with their energy suppliers to see if they can be paid to run devices, including washing machines and dishwashers, at certain times of day. The UK’s electricity system operator pays consumers to cut their electricity use in order to help manage the system and avoid blackouts.
Several UK energy suppliers, including Octopus Energy and British Gas, have signed up to the demand flexibility service scheme, which rewards households with money off their energy bills. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) paid out a total of £777,800 to households between mid-April and July 14 to cut their energy usage, the Financial Times revealed. Britons can sign up to the demand flexibility service through their energy supplier, with the full list of those signed up to the scheme available on the NESO website.
Once signed up, the supplier will contact their customer when there is a DFS “event” – when Brits can earn rewards for using less electricity or shifting when they use it. They are usually notified on the same day or the day before.
These events usually last about an hour in the evenings, when electricity demand tends to be at its peak as households cook dinner and use devices like TVs and washing machines. To be rewarded, Brits will need to slash their energy usage.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, the most effective way to do this is to delay using large appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers, which tend to use the most energy. Instead, switch to appliances with lower energy consumption at these times, such as the microwave instead of the oven. However, it adds that turning off the TV and lights makes little difference to consumption, so they can usually be left on.
The type and value of rewards vary by provider. Some offer free or cheaper electricity, resulting in money off the bill, while others, such as Octopus, allow households to earn points that can be redeemed as bill credit.
While the exact figure on how much households can earn has not been specified, MoneySavingExpert.com said Brits can expect to earn between £1 and £5 per event.
The scheme was first announced by NESO in 2022 to help manage electricity demand during peak times. It was expanded in April to reward customers for increasing their electricity usage during off-peak times and reducing it during peak periods.
The UK uses on average 720 GWh to 810 GWh of electricity per day nationwide, equivalent to about 7.4 kWh to 9.5 kWh per household, which equates to the electrical output of up to two mid-sized natural gas power plants operating for a year, or the energy provided by 1.6 to 1.8 million barrels of oil.