Major energy supplier will pay you to turn devices off at peak times – and you could save £100s
A MAJOR energy supplier will pay you to turn off your devices at peak times and you could save £100s.
Ovo Energy will pay eligible customers £10 a month if they reduce their energy consumption during peak times.
Those taking part in its Power Move scheme will need to cut their usage between the peak hours of 4pm-7pm to less than 12.5%.
That’s the equivalent of moving four loads of washing each week from on-peak to off-peak hours.
Or three dishwasher loads to later on in the evening.
The average household uses 18% of its electricity at peak times so by reducing this to 12.5% or below, over one million eligible Ovo Energy customers can be credited £10 a month.
You can join a Power Move challenge if you’re an Ovo pay monthly and on-demand customer with a smart meter that’s sending half-hourly readings.
If you haven’t already, you can easily switch to half-hourly reads through your online account.
Customers without a working smart meter cannot take part in the scheme.
Ovo first trialled its Power Move scheme back in November last year.
The company contacted selected customers to take part and rewarded them with £20 in monthly credit if they cut their usage to less than 12.5% between 4pm and 7pm.
The trial ran from November 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.
Natalie Harris, 52, from Bristol, took part in the trial and said: “Ovo paid me £80 last winter for making simple changes that reduced demand on the grid.
“This meant I was able to treat myself when I did my weekly shop.
“I’ve tried to keep up the good habits I made, for example, I’m more conscious of when I run the washing machine and I try not to put the oven on during peak hours.”
Ovo’s new scheme pays customers £10 less each month, but if you were to cut your usage over the next 12 months, you’d still bag £120 in total.
If you hit the monthly target, Ovo will reward you with an energy credit each month.
And if your account has a negative balance, any reward paid will be used to pay down any debt on your account.
Customers wishing to take part in the scheme can apply through their online account.
Mat Moakes, chief commercial officer at Ovo, said: “Changing what time of day you put the washing machine on might seem small, but our Power Move trials showed these small acts can make a massive impact.
“That’s why we’re paying customers to move their energy use out of peak times, to times of day when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing.
“This is all part of our commitment to help make our customers’ homes, as well as the energy system, greener.”
It comes after Ovo Energy was slammed by the regulator yesterday.
The supplier has been ordered by Ofgem to improve its customer service following “serious concerns” about its unresolved complaints and waiting times.
The regulator said it had set Ovo “clear expectations and improvement targets” to address all outstanding complaints and reduce the time it takes for issues to be resolved.
Ovo was working with Ofgem to improve its complaint and referral processes, the regulator added.