Households will be able to receive discounts on energy bills if they reduce their electricity usage from peak hours on certain days.
National Grid, which revealed the service as part of efforts to avoid potential blackouts, has said households could save up to £100 through the limited scheme. Energy watchdog Ofgem has approved the proposals for National Grid electricity system operator (ESO) to launch the programme, called a demand flexibility service, from November until March.
In the coming days, the ESO will seek to run the first tests for the service, which will also be available to businesses. There will be a total of 12 test days to see how customers respond. Only customers with smart meters will be able to take part.
READ MORE: Scenes from Liverpool’s streets now lost of rarely seen anymore
Households participating through the programme will be sent a message from the network if there is increased pressure on the system. It will ask people and businesses who have signed up to reduce or move their electricity usage outside peak hours.
It comes a month after the operator warned in its winter outlook that the first planned blackouts in decades might hit parts of the country this winter if power plants cannot get enough gas to keep running. In what it called an "unlikely" scenario, the ESO said that households and businesses might face planned three-hour outages to ensure the grid does not collapse.
Fintan Slye, executive director of the ESO, said: "We are delighted that Ofgem have approved the use of our Demand Flexibility Service this winter. It will help mitigate the potential risks that the ESO has outlined in its Winter Outlook and will allow consumers to see a financial return for reducing their electricity use at peak times.
"As a responsible operator of the electricity system we have developed this innovative Demand Flexibility Service to compliment the robust set of tools we already use to balance the electricity system every day."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT:
'Selfless mum' dies suddenly after birthday night out
Road closed and shop cordoned off after fire broke out above barbers
Paedophile bragged on the dark web about grooming boy with gifts
Emmerdale fans 'work out' new paternity twist to shake the village
