Several energy suppliers are taking part in the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) trial which could see households paid for reducing electricity use during peak hours.
The scheme - called the Demand Flexibility Service - was rolled out in November, and is available to those who's supplier has signed on provided they have a smart meter.
The ESO will send notifications to customers during busy periods, asking them to switch off appliances for which they will then receive money back on their energy bills.
The trial will run from November to March, with households being paid around £4 for every unit of electricity that they reduce their consumption by during specific times - although the exact rate depends on your supplier.
It comes after the ESO warned that three-hour planned blackouts may be required if contingencies such as this trial were to fail, however they have said that this is unlikely.
Recently, major suppliers British Gas and OVO signed on to the scheme, allowing selected customers to access the money-back trial.
Raman Bhatia, CEO of OVO, comments: "We're pleased to be joining the National Grid Electricity System Operator's Demand Flexibility Scheme and launching another trial which rewards customers for their efforts in making small but significant changes to the way they consume energy."
Chris O’Shea, British Gas chief executive told the PA News agency: "We are exploring how to make this scheme work best for our customers so that it fits in with their habits around the home. This approach to help manage residential electricity demand is likely to become a major feature of the market in years to come."
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Major suppliers taking part in the Demand Flexibility Service
OVO Energy: The trial will see three types of notification, two of which will be exclusive to OVO customers and will alert participants of the days and times the grid is most likely to see demand.
The third is a notification asking participants to reduce their energy, and will see them earn a minimum of £1 for every kWh shifted below their personal target.
British Gas: The latest – and the largest – to sign up to the scheme said that it hoped 100,000 customers would sign up.
EDF: EDF says that they have selected a small group of customers, based on customer data and criteria from National Grid.
Octopus Energy: Octopus Energy, which piloted the money-back scheme earlier this year, was the first supplier to officially sign up to the new National Grid in November.
E.On Next: E.On Next invited customers with smart meters to sign up to the ESO scheme in which they could see savings of £100 - based on £3 per kWh - if they reduce their energy usage 29 times over winter.
Utilita Energy: Select Utilita Energy customers can save up to £76.44 for using energy at off-peak times under the firm's Power Payback scheme.
Full list of suppliers taking part in the Demand Flexibility Service
The full list of suppliers, including smaller firms and those in the non-domestic sector, according to the National Grid ESO are as follows:
- British Gas (domestic)
- CarbonLaces (domestic and non-domestic)
- Conrad Energy (non-domestic)
- CUB (UK) Ltd (non-domestic)
- Drax (non-domestic)
- ENGIE Power Limited (non-domestic)
- E.ON Next (domestic)
- Equiwatt (domestic and non-domestic)
- ev.energy (domestic)
- Flexitricity (non-domestic)
- Grid Beyond (non-domestic)
- Gridimp (non-domestic)
- Hugo Energy App (via SMS) (domestic)
- Labrador (via Perse Technology Ltd) (domestic and non-domestic)
- Loop.homes (via SMS) (domestic)
- myenergi (via Orange Power) (domestic)
- Oaktree Power (non-domestic)
- Octopus Energy (domestic and non-domestic)
- OVO Energy (domestic)
- Pearlstone Energy (non-domestic)
- Power Rewards App (via Orange Power) (domestic)
- Shell Energy Retail (Via SMS) (domestic)
- SMS (domestic and non-domestic)
- VpowerU (domestic and non-domestic)
- Zenobe Energy Limited (non-domestic)
The scheme was almost run live for the first time since launching earlier this week on Monday 28 November.
There have been three tests of the system to date, in which households helped to take the stress off the grid.
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