TWO major energy suppliers are offering customers cash to put their washing on at different times of the day.
It comes amid warnings that households could face blackouts this winter.
The National Grid, which is responsible for the UK's gas and electricity supply, has said there may not be enough power on colder days when demand is higher.
Supply to the UK has dropped partly due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The lack of supply has prompted the National Grid to develop the "demand flexibility service".
Under the scheme, households will be paid by suppliers to use their energy at less busy times between November and March, 2023.
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It is hoped if enough people do this, it will reduce the likelihood blackouts will have to be imposed.
Two major energy firms have already confirmed they'll offer customers money to use their appliances at off-peak times.
OVO Energy has announced a trial where customers can save up to £100 on their bills by switching their usage to greener times of the day.
Octopus Energy has also said customers will be £100 better off by using its "Saving Sessions" flexibility service.
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No other energy suppliers have announced their own schemes yet.
But you'll need to be on a smart meter which ever supplier you are with to take advantage of the scheme.
Most people currently pay the same amount for energy throughout the day and night, unless you are on an Economy 7 or 10 tariff
These give you cheaper rates during the night and more expensive ones in the daytime.
You'll pay the off-peak rates for either seven or 10 hours during the night, hence the name.
You're charged the on-peak rate for the remaining hours in the day.
We previously revealed how these "time-of-use" tariffs can slash your bills by as much as £120 a year.
Here we explain how Octopus Energy and Ovo customers can get paid to use energy at different times.
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy, the UK's fourth largest supplier, says its 1.4million customers on smart meters and 5,000 of its business customers can save £100 by signing up to the scheme.
Customers will be paid an average of £4 per kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy they save compared to their normal usage during a certain timeframe.
It will run from November through to March next year.
Customers who sign up will get a text telling them if they use less electricity between certain hours, and they'll be paid later that day.
Greg Jackson, Octopus' chief executive officer, said: “Instead of cutting off whole chunks of the country if we are short of gas, we can reward people for using less energy at times of peak demand.
"We were the first energy supplier to offer this service to our customers, and we hope others will follow our lead.
"By doing so, we can make blackouts a thing of the past, and bring costs down for everyone."
OVO
OVO Energy said customers could save up to £100 on their bills by using their energy in darker hours through its trial.
They're asking customers to cut their average consumption between the peak hours of 4-7pm to less than 12.5%.
That's the equivalent of moving three loads of washing each week from on-peak to off-peak hours.
Customers will be contacted to apply for the trial from mid-October. Once signed up, the trial will run from November 1 – March 31, 2023.
£20 will then be given for each month households can achieve the below 12.5% figure – this adds up to £100 if they achieve this every month from November through to March.
Raman Bhatia, OVO's chief executive officer, said: “The UK energy sector is at a crucial point, and we need a resilient grid to get us through this winter.
"This trial provides essential consumer data which can be shared with the Government and the National Grid to prevent power shortages, and will give customers a deeper insight into their energy consumption habits, with great potential savings."
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