One of the UK's biggest energy companies is launching a new trial that rewards customers for not using power during peak times. The 'Power Payback' feature, currently being tested by 1,000 customers, could save all of those, who subscribe to Utilita, £61m annually.
They will be incentivised to avoid usage between the hours of 17:00-22.30 - by crediting their meters the equivalent to the supplier’s cost savings. As part of the trial, customers will receive an SMS notification one hour before each ‘payback’ event, of which there will be one per week.
If successful, the energy supplier plans to offer the scheme to all eligible customers from winter 2023 onwards. George Walters, chief home services officer, said: “As a result of consumer champions encouraging suppliers to compete not on value, but price, during the last decade, households have been able to access energy at an unsustainably low price, hence why more than 30 suppliers who joined the race to the bottom have folded.
