OVO Energy has joined National Grid ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) to incentivise the reduction of energy use during peak usage times.
The energy supplier becomes the latest to join the DFS scheme with the likes of Octopus Energy, E.ON Next and Flexitricity, who provided market access, amongst those who have already signed up.
The DFS service will run from 8 December to 31 March 2023 with three different types of notifications. With this, two will be specifically unique to OVO customers and will provide participants with greater chances to win money back.
These exclusive notifications will alert participants on which days the grid is set to see increased demand in addition to what time of the day this will occur.
The scheme will initially be open to 15,000 OVO customers, with this set to rise after the first month, and will allow participants to make a minimum of £1 for every kWh shifted outside of peak times below their personal target. If customers shift more energy, they can earn up to £100.
“We’re pleased to be joining the National Grid Electricity System Operator’s Demand Flexibility Scheme and launching another trial which rewards customers for their efforts in making small but significant changes to the way they consume energy,” said Raman Bhatia, CEO of OVO Energy.
“We know that winter is going to be a challenging time for many, so relieving that pressure where we can, and supporting our customers has never been more important.”
The ESO’s DFS trial has been considered a success to date with two different trials having been conducted on 15 November and 22 November. Octopus Energy’s service dubbed Saving Sessions collectively provided 108MW of flexibility, more than half of the 200MW flexibility requirement ESO outlined for the first trial period.
The trial is one of the many efforts being conducted by ESO in a bid to reduce the strain on the energy grid during the winter months amid the energy crisis. The firm’s intention to run the service had been outlined in ESO’s Winter Outlook report in October, when the operator stated that while there is a risk of blackouts, it was “cautiously confident” it had the tools to manage the predicted constraints.
Demand flexibility is an area that OVO has already been exploring via its “Power Move” initiative. This incentivised trialists to reduce the demand on the energy grid by offering a financial benefit.
The trial has been used to gather data to strengthen the company’s understanding of energy usage during peak times, which would help OVO create further offerings to support a greener and more resilient energy system.