Octopus Energy has defended its new money-saving scheme that pays people not to use their electricity at certain times after some customers criticised it for being a 'waste of time'.
The scheme, launched by the National Grid, allows households to get money back if they reduce their electricity use during peak hours. It is designed to reduce the strain on the electricity grid, which could help to avoid blackouts over the winter.
But some customers who took part in the first saving session on Tuesday evening last week weren't impressed by the scheme, with one saying they spent an hour 'sitting in the dark' for a 'pretty crap financial saving'. Between 5pm and 6pm, participants were asked to cut their usage in order to earn 'OctoPoints', which can then be cashed in, used as energy account credit, exchanged for prizes or donated to other customers.
