Up to a million households have been answering the call from the National Grid this week to curb their electricity as part of the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) scheme.
Families who have a smart meter and who have signed up to the scheme via their energy supplier received a notification on Monday and yesterday asking them to cut their energy usage in return for payment. Monday's scheme ran from 5-6pm and yesterday' was 90 minutes between 4.30and 6pm. This week is the first time the new scheme, by the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), has been activated outside the trials last year and the triggers came because the National Grid says supplies remain "tighter than normal".
Around 26 energy firms are signed up to the DFS scheme, including British Gas, EDF, Eon and Octopus Energy. National Grid ESO said suppliers will get a “guaranteed minimum price” £3 per unit (kWh) saved, but suppliers are able to choose how much of this saving to pass on, or to pay out more.
