24 January 2023 , 07:13
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Households will be paid to cut their energy use tonight under a new scheme being activated by the National Grid.
Tonight will be the second time the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) has been launched outside of a trial.
To take part, you will need to have a smart meter which can send reading every 30 minutes as this is used to verify the amount you have saved during the scheme.
In the future, the National Grid hopes to further expand the eligibility for the scheme so more customers can join in.
For now though, participating in the service is "completely optional" and you do not have to take part if you don’t want to, even if you have signed up to take part.
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Mirror Money has compiled together the exact details of tonight's Demand Flexibility Service scheme - from when it will start to which suppliers are taking part.
Have you signed up to this scheme to reduce your energy bill? Let us know: [email protected]
The scheme will pay you for reducing your energy consumption during "peak times" (Getty Images/iStockphoto)What time will it happen and for how long?
The National Grid has said the scheme will run tonight from 4.30pm until 6pm.
It will be the second night in a row where the scheme will be active, having run from 5pm until 6pm yesterday.
Future events could be run up to three or four hours.
These are most likely to be held late afternoon or early evening on weekdays when the demand for electricity is highest.
In the window, households taking part will need to reduce their energy consumption dramatically by not using "power-hungry" appliances.
These can include washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, electric showers and immersion heaters.
On its website, the National Grid says that small appliances such as modern televisions consume very little electricity, so it won't "be worth" adapting usage of these during an event.
The National Grid has reiterated that the scheme is all about reducing your energy use where you can and they are not asking people to "go without electricity".
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Full list of providers signed up to the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS)
The majority of the UK's major suppliers have confirmed they will take part in the National Grid's Demand Flexibility Service, however, some firms have also introduced their own energy-saving initiative as well.
You can check with your supplier directly if it's running the scheme and how you can take part.
Not all energy suppliers are taking part, those who are include:
- British Gas
- CarbonLaces
- Conrad Energy
- CUB (UK) Ltd
- Drax
- EDF
- ENGIE Power Limited
- E.ON Next
- Equiwatt
- ev.energy
- Flexitricity
- Grid Beyond
- Gridimp
- Hugo Energy App
- Labrador (via Perse Technology Ltd)
- Loop.homes
- myenergyi (via Orange Power)
- Oaktree Power
- Octopus Energy
- OVO Energy
- Pearlstone Energy
- Power Rewaeds App (via Orange Power)
- Shell Energy Retail
- SMS
- VpowerU
- Zenobe Energy Limited