Customers get paid to cut use of electricity

HOUSEHOLDERS could get paid for cutting their energy use for a couple of hours a day during peak demand.

A trial will allow thousands of homes to earn while also saving on their energy bills, The Guardian reported.

The trial is being conducted by the National Grid and Octopus Energy, which employs about 300 people in its Leicester call centre.

From next week, Octopus customers involved in the scheme will be challenged to cut their gas and electricity use by between 40 and 60 per cent compared to their normal use during a two-hour time period.

That could be done by measure such as delaying running an appliance such as a tumble dryer or dishwasher, or turning off lights around the house.

It will be during times when energy usage is generally higher, such as from 9am to 11am and between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

Participants will get paid 35p for every kilowatt-hour of electricity saved for the time windows where they manage to cut usage by their target amount.

The trial will run until the end of next month and will help households save and earn money ahead of the 54 per cent leap in energy bills that will come in for most people in April.

The National Grid said it hopes the trial will help it gather data in its programme to cut usage so that electricity use can be carbon neutral by 2035.

Isabelle Haigh, the head of National Grid’s electricity system control rooms, said: “This trial will provide valuable insight into how suppliers may be able to utilise domestic flexibility to help reduce stress on the system during high demand.”

James Eddison, chief technology officer at Octopus and co-founder of the company, said its previous home energy trials have shown that households “can play a key role” in improving the efficiency of the UK’s electricity system and “making sure that we’re making the most of homegrown green energy when it’s abundant”.