Energy giant British Gas has confirmed it will pay UK households to use electricity outside of peak times this winter.
Customers will be reimbursed when using appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and cookers at night. Those who opt in to the scheme are likely to be asked to reduce electricity use by around 30% between 4pm and 7pm - although final details have yet to been published.
Money Saving Expert has said a trial scheme will launch "later this year", while British Gas is yet to confirm how much customers using the scheme will be able to earn, the Mirror reports.
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The move comes after the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) confirmed it is encouraging energy suppliers to sign up to a new scheme this winter, aimed at preventing blackouts.
The ESO said those who avoid using energy-guzzling appliances when demand is high will get back £3 per kilowatt hour - up from the 52p previously announced.
Octopus Energy, who piloted the ESO scheme earlier this year, was the first supplier to officially sign up to the new initiative. It expects to pay customers £4 on average during peak times between November and March through its Saving Sessions service.
Octopus says this will add up to £100 over winter, if a customer cuts their electricity use by 1kWh once or twice a week, up to around 25 times in total.
OVO Energy has also announced a similar scheme - but this is separate to the run being one by the ESO. OVO customers who cut their energy use by 12.5% between 4pm and 7pm will get £20 per month.
The new Power Move trial will run from November to March as well, meaning OVO households can also get up to £100.
The ESO first published information about the new "Demand Flexibility Service" in a report last month. It's up to each energy supplier to decide whether they sign up - if they do, then their customers will be encouraged to use less energy during peak times.
But customers will need a smart meter to take part in the scheme. It comes after the ESO warned households could face planned three-hour blackouts on "really cold evenings" this winter.
This would be in the event of system operators suffering a shortage of gas - although experts say this is "unlikely" to happen. The idea of using less electricity when demand is normally particularly high is that it should help ease the burden on power grids and prevent blackouts.
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