Households could get an extra £100 in their bank depending on when they wash their clothes.
The National Grid ESO raised the discount it will offer from 52p per kilowatt hour to £3 for households who avoid using high-energy appliances at peak times. It means that if you wash your clothes or cook at night time instead of in the day you could make savings of hundreds of pounds.
It is down 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 you'll need a smart meter to take part in the scheme, reported The Mirror.
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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. It comes after the electricity system operator (ESO) warned Brits could face three-hour planned blackouts in a worst-case scenario.
Writing in The Guardian, Fintan Slye, the director of National Grid ESO, said businesses and homes "can become virtual power plants and, crucially, get paid like one too". He said: "For a consumer that could mean a typical household could save approximately £100. Or industrial and commercial businesses with larger energy usage, they could potentially save multiples of this.”
Customers will be emailed or texted a time slot in advance if power cuts become likely. The message will ask them to only use electricity when demand is less - typically after 7pm.
If households do decide to do this, they’ll receive a payment as a reward to help them lower their energy bills. It is expected the scheme will run from November to March.
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