UK providers to pay customers for not using electricity – media

Octopus Energy and Ovo Energy expect their new schemes to help cut risks of blackouts during winter

Customers of British energy suppliers Octopus Energy and Ovo Energy can get money back for not using electricity during times of high power demand, UK tabloid the Mirror reported on Friday.

The two firms are planning to launch schemes to help Britain avoid blackouts during the coldest months.

Earlier this week, Britain’s National Grid ESO warned that the nation could experience a series of three-hour power cuts this coming winter if the government is unable to secure enough gas and electricity imports.

The two energy providers said they will reward customers with smart meters for using less energy at peak times. Both new schemes are part of the National Grid's tool box to keep the lights on this winter.

Under Octopus’ scheme, which is called Saving Sessions and will run between November 2022 and March 2023, customers will be paid an average of £4 ($4.46) for every unit saved during the specific timeframes. This is expected to allow customers to save around £100 over the course of the winter.

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“Instead of cutting off whole chunks of the country if we are short of gas, we can reward people for using less energy at times of peak demand,” Octopus CEO Greg Jackson said.

“We were the first energy supplier to offer this service to our customers, and we hope others will follow our lead. By doing so, we can make blackouts a thing of the past, and bring costs down for everyone.”

Ovo’s version of the scheme is a trial called Power Move. The energy provider will reward customers up to £100 for shifting energy use to non-peak times. The program runs from November 2022 to March 2023.

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