British Gas has confirmed it will pay customers to use electricity outside of peak times this winter.
It means households will get money back for using energy-guzzling appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and cookers at night.
Customers will have to opt into the scheme and it is likely you’ll be asked to reduce your electricity use by around 30% between 4pm and 7pm - although final details have yet to been published.
British Gas hasn’t said how much customers will be able to earn for reducing their electricity use - but MoneySavingExpert says its trial scheme will launch “later this year”.
It comes after the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) confirmed it is encouraging energy suppliers to sign up to a new scheme this winter, aimed at preventing blackouts.
The ESO said those who avoid using appliances when demand is high will get back £3 per kilowatt hour - up from the 52p previously announced.
Octopus Energy, who piloted the ESO scheme earlier this year, was the first supplier to officially sign up to the new initiative.
It expects to pay customers £4 on average during peak times between November and March through its Saving Sessions service.
Octopus says this will add up to £100 over winter, if a customer cuts their electricity use by 1kWh once or twice a week, up to around 25 times in total.
OVO Energy has also announced a similar scheme - but this is separate to the run being one by the ESO.
OVO customers who cut their energy use by 12.5% between 4pm and 7pm will get £20 each month.
The new Power Move trial will run from November to March as well, meaning OVO households can also get up to £100.
MoneySavingExpert reports that the British Gas scheme is being run together with the ESO.
We’ve asked British Gas for more information and we’ll update this article when we know more.
The ESO first published details about the new "Demand Flexibility Service" in a report last month.
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.
It comes after the ESO warned households could be subjected to planned three-hour blackouts this winter, in a “worst case scenario”.
This would be in the event of system operators suffering a shortage of gas - although experts say this is "unlikely" to happen.
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.
