British Gas has announced it will pay households with smart meters to cut their electricity use during peak times this winter. The UK's biggest energy supplier is the latest to commit to such incentives after Octopus Energy and Ovo Energy launched similar schemes with some suppliers claiming homes could get up to £100 back.
The exact details of the British Gas trial and when it will be launched haven't been announced yet, but only households with smart meters will be able to take part - which includes more than 3.5 million customers. The schemes are aimed at preventing power shortages in Great Britain over the winter months, with some other suppliers expected to launch similar trials soon.
It follows warnings from the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) that this winter could be challenging for energy supplies across Europe. In a "worst-case" scenario, this could led to blackouts, but the ESO has stressed that this is unlikely, reports Chronicle Live.
READ MORE: UK blackout plan includes food plan, emergency broadcasts and 3-hour power cuts
The schemes all involve asking households to reduce electricity consumption during periods of the day when there is likely to be high demand. But how it works and how much you can earn depends on which supplier you are with.
British Gas
British Gas has said it is aiming to start trialling the scheme "later this year" but hasn't confirmed an exact date. You can't register yet but you can opt-in once the trial has launched if you have a smart meter, which is required because the scheme is based on tracking usage a certain times.
Participating households will be asked to reduce usage by around 30% during peak times, likely between 4pm and 7pm. The details are still to be confirmed though so this could change and British Gas hasn't confirmed how much customers could earn.
Octopus Energy
The five-month Savings Sessions scheme is running from November 1 to March 31 next year. Octopus Energy says almost all of its 1.4 million customers with smart meters take part by signing up online.
Participating customers will get an email and app notification in advance, which tells them when to use less electricity to earn money. It will likely include the evening peak of 4pm to 7pm but could vary.
Once you get the notification, you will need to opt in to each session via email or the app - if you don't, you won't earn the reward. There will be at least 12 sessions across the five months but there could be more depending on need.
Based on the grid's performance in previous years, Octopus expects one or two sessions a week. The average home will be able to earn around £36 in total, but you could earn up to £100, according to Octopus.
The exact amount each household gets will depend on usage and how many times they are prompted to reduce it during winter. You will receive 'OctoPoints' which can be redeemed as credit to your energy account.
Ovo Energy
Like Octopus' scheme, Ovo Energy's Power Move trial began on November 1 and runs until March 31. Applications have closed for the scheme, which has 7,000 participants.
Customers will be asked to cut their consumption between 4pm and 7pm. According to Ovo, the average household uses 19% of their daily total during those hours and participants will be asked to reduce that to less than 12.5%.
Ovo says this is the equivalent of doing three loads of washing a week at another time. Households will be paid a flat reward of £20 per month if they meet the goal, up to a total of £100, which will be paid as credit to your energy account.
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