Money Wellness
Image of a close up of someone turning on a kettle
category iconcost of living
category iconenergy
calendar icon01 Nov 2023

National energy company will pay you to use less electricity this winter

The electricity system operator for Great Britain, National Grid ESO, has brought back its winter incentive scheme, which’ll pay households across the country to use less energy at peak times.

Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) incentivises households with smart meters to earn money, points, or prizes throughout the colder months by shifting their energy usage to off-peak times to help reduce pressure on the grid and prevent blackouts.

DFS will run from 31 October until 31 March next year with National Grid SEO running 12 tests between November and March. Each test will run for one hour – although some could last longer – and during these times, households who have signed up should try to minimise their electricity consumption.

According to the Mirror newspaper, the first six tests will pay DFS providers signed up to the scheme - such as energy suppliers, aggregators, and third parties – a price of £3 per kilowatt hour saved. These savings will then be passed onto customers through rewards such as pounds, points, or prizes.

Payments for the second lot of six tests will be decided by the National Grid at a later date and will depend on how many households have signed up to the scheme. The exact amount you could make from signing up depends on your individual circumstances and how much electricity you use.

The scheme first launched last winter and saw 1.6 million households and businesses take part, which saved more than 3,300MWh of electricity – enough to power nearly 10 million homes.

Claire Dykta, Head of Markets at  ESO, said: “Households and businesses across Great Britain can now benefit from actively participating in helping balance the network during tight winter periods and be incentivised to do so.

“Creating more flexibility on our electricity system will be vital for running the clean, green and fair energy system of the future."

Avatar of Caroline Chell

Caroline Chell

Caroline has worked in financial communications for more than 10 years, writing content on subjects such as pensions, mortgages, loans and credit cards, as well as stockbroking and investment advice.

Related posts

cost of living

07 Dec 2023

TV licence fee to rise next year

The TV licence will increase by £10.50 from next April. find out what it means for you

cost of living

05 Dec 2023

Help for families who can’t afford Christmas presents for the kids

Millions of households will struggle to afford Christmas presents this year. Here's a list of the charities and organisations who help make sure every child wakes up to a gift from Santa

cost of living

05 Dec 2023

Households buying less veg because of cost of living pressures

Low-income families can’t afford to buy fresh vegetables due to huge price increases. Find out how to get cheap or free fruit and veg

cost of living

05 Dec 2023

Inflation-linked TV licence fee increase could be blocked

£15 increase to the TV licence fee may be reduced due to cost-of-living squeeze

Average Customer Rating:
4.9/5
Independent Service Rating based on 4013 verified reviews. Read all reviews