People could receive £10 a day for running their washing machines late at night.
The plan, unveiled by the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) for the winter, will offer financial incentives for switching energy usage to off-peak hours. Named the 'demand flexibility service', it has been designed help ease the pressure on power networks as the nation prepares for a winter of supply challenges.
The money-back offer is to be implemented by energy suppliers and monitored using a smart meter, with a £10-a-day minimum reward being issued to those who prioritise off-peak electricity usage, according to the Mail Online. Ways of meeting the target for households could include avoiding running electricity-guzzling kitchen appliances during the day, or charging an electric vehicle at night.
Read More: 1970s-style planned power cuts could return in winter due to gas shortage, national grid warns
The service is scheduled to run from November to March, and has been promoted as an innovative step towards a more "flexible" energy system. Jake Rigg, the National Grid ESO’s director of corporate affairs, said: "The demand flexibility service is a first of its kind and a smart way for signed-up consumers in homes and businesses to save money and back Britain.
"If you put your washing machine or other electrical appliances on at night instead of the peak in the early evening, you can get some money back when we all need it. The service is due to launch in November, so watch out for further details soon. This really is a window into the future where a flexible energy system will be cleaner and lower cost to alternatives."
Alternatively, households potentially face organised power cuts of around three hours in the months ahead due to possible shortages of foreign gas caused by Russia's war with Ukraine, reports The Mirror.
Presenting a "worst case scenario", The National Grid raised the prospect of scheduled blackouts between 4pm and 7pm if there is not enough gas to keep the country’s power stations going. Describing the undesired outcome, the ESO said some customers "could be without power for pre-defined periods during the day" for a total of "three-hour blocks".
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