Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Wales Online

Kieran Isgin & Elaine Blackburne

Full list of energy suppliers paying customers not to use electricity including E.ON and OVO

Ovo Electricity National Grid Grid Eon Demand Flexibility Service OVO Energy

With winter nights drawing in and temperatures plummeting people are finding themselves having to put the heating on more and more often. However while the mercury drops energy bills are soaring - along with the cost of living across most other areas.

So anything which can help cut the cost of heating is a bonus. The National Grid has announced a scheme which will see customers being paid if they use their electricity at off peak times.

The Demand Flexibility Service aims to move the time people use power so reduce the pressure on the availability at usually busy times. It is so far yet to be activated however it has come close on two occasions since its launch at the beginning of November.

The latest of these was on Monday when it said it was concerned people would need more power than there was available. It led to the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) saying it was considering whether to activate its first-ever live run of the scheme. However this was later avoided when it was decided the availability would be adequate so as not to trigger powercuts.

Energy suppliers have to sign up and each of their schemes are different - but so far a total of 25 firms have opted to take part in it. These include many big names such as British Gas, E.ON and OVO, reports the Manchester Evening News.

British Gas

British Gas has said any households taking part in the scheme must cut their electricity use by around 30 per cent between 4pm and 7pm - when demand is at its highest.

OVO

OVO has said its scheme will be open to 15,000 OVO customers but this will rise after the first month.

Raman Bhatia, CEO of OVO Energy said: “We’re pleased to be joining the National Grid Electricity System Operator’s Demand Flexibility Scheme and launching another trial which rewards customers for their efforts in making small but significant changes to the way they consume energy.

“We know that winter is going to be a challenging time for many, so relieving that pressure where we can, and supporting our customers has never been more important.”

EDF

EDF is also taking part in trialling the Demand Flexibility Service. it says on its website that it will select a small group of customers based on data and advice from National Grid.

Invitations will be sent to this group of customers by email in late November, while also providing information on everything they need to do. Customers must wait for an invite from the supplier and cannot sign up online or over the phone.

E.ON

E.ON has also said it will contact eligible customers to see if they want to take part in its scheme. However those taking part must have a smart meter that provides half-hourly meter readings so that the supplier can accurately measure reductions in daily energy use.

An E.ON spokesperson said: “E.ON Next is taking part in the National Grid’s Demand Flexibility Service to help our customers lower their energy costs by reducing their energy consumption. We’re inviting eligible customers to sign up so that they can join in and save when the Grid sets Demand Flexibility events.

“The future of energy involves every customer – at home and in business – having their own smart, sustainable and personalised energy solutions that support their everyday lives. Time of use tariffs can be used alongside low carbon technologies such as solar panels, EV charge points and heat pumps to ensure we can move to net-zero at a lower cost by reducing the need for ever more upstream generation and reinforcement of our networks.”