THIS winter your energy company could pay you for using less energy and avoiding peak times – here’s how to make a saving on your bills.
The National Grid has bought back its “Demand Flexibility Service” (DFS) for the third year.
The DFS incentivises customers to reduce their energy use, or avoid peak usage times.
It launched on November 27 and sees customers paid for the savings they make.
In 2022/23 around 1.6million households and businesses were paid a total of just under £11million for taking part.
To join the scheme and start making savings you will need to have a smart meter, to send accurate data to your energy provider.
You’ll then need to be signed up through your energy supplier.
Each provider will have its own eligibility criteria to take part. so make sure you check the terms.
The amount you get paid will depend on what your supplier offers, and bear in mind that not every firm will participate.
We asked each of the major energy suppliers if they will be taking part this year and below we round up their individual schemes.
There may be further firms taking part as well so it’s always worth checking with your provider if they’re not listed.
EDF offers customers the chance to earn up to 16-hours of free electricity a week through its Sunday Saver challenge.
Customers can earn the electricity by shifting their usage away from peak times during the week (between 4pm and 7pm).
Those who successfully shift their consumption are rewarded with up to 16 hours free electricity on a Sunday.
To take part customers are required to have a smart meter and be opted into half hourly readings.
Next month’s challenge begins on December 2 and customers can enrol through EDF’s Energy Hub.
Those who sign up to December’s scheme will also receive eight hours of free electricity on Christmas Day.
Octopus Energy launched its Saving Sessions scheme as part of the DFS in 2022.
The provider said the scheme had had saved 2million customers around £10.5million.
Savings Sessions is to launch again this winter, but Octopus is waiting for the term’s of this years DFS scheme to be announced before revealing details.
Octopus Energy has other demand flexibility products including Free Electricity Sessions, where customers can get free electricity for a set periods when wholesale prices drop significantly.
Seven free sessions have been offered so far this year leading to savings of more than £600,000.
Octopus said it hopes to offer more free sessions before the end of the year.
British Gas runs two programmes, PeakSave and Green Flex, which reward customers for shifting their electricity usage to times when there’s less demand, or more renewable electricity.
So far, British Gas has paid over £14million to more than 650,000 customers taking part in the schemes.
PeakSave sees the provider offer half-price electricity to all customers between 11am and 4pm on Sundays, encouraging them to shift their usage to this time.
All you need to take part is to have a smart meter installed.
British Gas also runs Green Flex events, which are two hour windows where electricity is offered at half price.
Customers need to opt in to the Green Flex scheme and will be notified of free periods when there is an ample supply of renewable electricity.
Good Energy is participating in this winter’s DFS through its FlexiRewards Programme.
Customers who have had heat pumps or batteries installed through the provider can sign up to the scheme, even if they do not have a smart meter.
FlexiRewards adjusts how energy is offered depending on whether demand is high or low and can earn customers between £5 and £20 a month on average.
Last year Good Energy also offered manual flexibility service Power Pause, but this will not be relaunched this winter.
Scottish Power will run Power Saver events this winter, as part of the DFS.
The ad hoc events will see the provider inform customers when there’s less demand on the grid or more renewable energy available.
By registering as a Power Saver customers will also have access to half-price weekends and bonus events.
Half-price weekends will continue year round and offer cut-price energy between 11am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Additional Power Saver Plus bonus events will see customers notified via Scottish Power’s app when there’s less demand on the grid or renewable energy available.
To take part you need to have a smart meter and register for the scheme.
Customers accounts will be credited with the money they have saved.
Ovo invites customers to take part in its Power Move challenge and earn money off their bills.
Customers are challenged to use energy off-peak, when there is less pressure on the grid.
During the winter months peak hours are between 4pm and 7pm Monday to Friday.
Ovo challenges customers to use 12% or less of their total electricity between those hours.
Those who use between 0% and 8% of their electricity during peak times could receive £12 credit a month, those who use between 8.01% and 10% are credited £6, while those using between 10.01% and 12% get £3.
Customers can enrol for the scheme through Beyond on their app.
To be eligible you must have a smart meter and pay by direct debit.
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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