Some people can make money by using less electricity on Monday and Tuesday nights.
It’s part of a program aimed at reducing demand during peak periods to avoid blackouts.
Officially known as the Demand Flexibility Service, energy suppliers pay their customers a small bonus if they use less electricity than usual at a certain point in time.
For example, you could save energy by using the microwave instead of the oven or by using the washing machine later.
On Monday the scheme will run between 17:00 and 18:00 GMT and again on Tuesday from 16:30 to 18:00 GMT.
You must have a smart meter installed and your electricity provider must offer the system.
Most suppliers, 26 in total, have registered. You can check whether your supplier is participating here.
Some customers have already been invited to participate, but you can contact your supplier and ask to enroll in the program.
Energy companies have different criteria for who can sign up and exactly how much they pay to save energy.
Your supplier will inform you via text message or email if there is a savings campaign coming up the next day.
The session usually takes place between 16:00 and 19:00 GMT as this is when demand is greatest.
The first savings session on Monday lasts an hour, but Tuesday’s lasts an hour and a half, and others might last longer.
When it was first announced, the program was scheduled to run through March, with up to 12 days when the savings plan would be offered.
According to National Grid, the response from households that participated in the 10 days of testing was greater than expected.
Because the program is operated by individual utility companies, the details of how much you’ll be paid to save energy will vary.
Some suppliers say you have to meet a certain threshold – cut by at least 30%, for example. But others say they will pay anyone who makes savings, however small.
Suppliers are paid between £3 and £6 for every unit of electricity – or kilowatt hour – saved, according to National Grid.
Suppliers can choose how much of this to pass on to customers. For example, if you are with Octopus Energy you will receive £3.37 for every kilowatt hour you save compared to your normal consumption. EDF pays its customers £3 for each unit of energy saved.
Even if you boil an entire kettle of water, you only use a fraction of a kilowatt hour. So you’d be paid in the region of 20p to 40p for skipping a round of tea, depending on how much water you’re heating, the power of your device and the reward your supplier is giving out.
But if you normally run your 2.5kW tumble dryer for an hour, Octopus will pay you more than £8 just for postponing that load until later in the evening.
So getting rid of energy-hungry appliances like clothes dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, electric ovens, electric showers and immersion heaters could make a real difference. However, turning off the lights or the TV from standby will do you very little.
For many people, the reward is probably just a few pounds each time the program runs. However, National Grid says heavy electricity consumers could earn up to £20 by reducing their consumption.
The program aims to relieve pressure on the National Grid by reducing energy demand.
This week has been very cold and very quiet.
So while people use more energy to keep warm, there is less wind power available in the UK.
According to National Grid, there’s no real risk of power outages, and coal-fired power plants are on standby if more power generation needs to be added.
But it would be better from an environmental and cost perspective if demand could be spread out instead.
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