MILLIONS of households will get paid to reduce their energy tonight with big-name suppliers taking part.

The National Grid's "Demand Flexibility Service" (DFS) is back again this winter and the first session will take place between 5pm and 6.30pm today.

The scheme launched again on October 30 and will run over the colder months.

Under the service, households who use less electricity than they normally do during certain hours are paid for the savings.

You have to have a smart meter to take part.

Some will be asked to participate between 5-6pm while others will be asked to reduce their usage between 5.30pm and 6.30pm.

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So far 1.4million businesses and households and 37 energy suppliers have signed up to take part in the scheme.

Those who have signed up will be contacted by their firm telling them when in the hour and a half window they can take part.

Last year around 1.6million households and businesses were paid a total of just under £11million for taking part.

The ESO (Electricity System Operator), a subsidiary of the Grid, said it will be looking to run 12 test events where households can make the savings.

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You must have signed up through your supplier, otherwise, you won't be able to take part.

Last year, the DFS was originally trialled with Octopus Energy, and other suppliers then joined, these included British Gas, EDF, E.On, Ovo Energy, and Shell Energy.

Each energy provider will have its own eligibility criteria to take part in the scheme though.

The amount you get will depend on what your supplier offers, and not every firm will participate.

But the National Grid has confirmed it will pay at least £3 for every kilowatt-hour they save during six of the 12 tests.

The cash is paid to the suppliers, which will likely retain a percentage to cover administrative costs and make a profit.

The National Grid tells energy firms when they can trigger the DFS, and suppliers then contact customers asking them if they want to take part.

We asked each of the major energy suppliers if they will be taking part this year, below we round up their individual schemes.

There may be further firms taking part as well, keep an eye on the ESO website as it will update throughout the winter.

Octopus Energy

Octopus Energy has confirmed that it will be taking part in the DFS scheme again this winter.

One million Octopus Energy customers will able to take part between 5.30pm and 6.30pm.

They'll be told about the hour window via their apps, email or WhatsApp in advance of a session.

They can earn "Octopoints" by reducing energy demand when the Grid needs it.

The exact time of each DFS event will differ depending on when the National Grid triggers the scheme, so it's not yet known when exactly the off-peak hours could be.

The amount of Octopoints earned will vary based on each event, and streak bonuses will be on offer again for customers who take part in more than one session in a row.

As well as the standard Saving Sessions, Octopus will this year also run "Surprise Sessions".

These are shorter, no notification events that will offer "high rewards".

Customers will be notified of these events a couple of hours in advance via the company’s new WhatsApp alerts.

Also, through Octopus’ new rewards scheme, Octoplus, customers can exchange their Octopoints for account credits to help with their bills.

OVO

OVO is also joining the National Grid ESO’s DFS.

It's launching its own scheme called Power Move Plus to reward customers for shifting their energy use out of peak times.

The scheme will run from November 1 to March 31, 2024, and customers who have signed up could earn up to £100 according to OVO.

They'll be able to do this by reducing their use of appliances like washing machines and dishwashers, during a stated period of time.

The Power Move Plus DFS events will run alongside OVO’s existing Power Move challenges.

Between November and March, Power Move customers can earn a further £60 for reducing usage during peak hours of 4pm to 7pm on weekdays.

OVO will alert Power Move Plus participants about the day and time of the DFS events via email.

Customers who complete both the challenges could earn up to £160 this winter, according to the supplier.

Once signed up to Power Move Plus, customers will need to opt-in to DFS events at least 30 minutes before the event starts.

The exact time of each event will differ depending on when the National Grid triggers the scheme, so it's not yet known when exactly the off-peak hours could be.

Eligible customers will be invited to sign up to the scheme via email.

British Gas

British Gas is also taking part for a second time this year.

Its version of the DFS scheme is known as PeakSave and you need to be a British Gas customer to enrol.

You also must have a smart meter, so it can see how much energy you normally use.

You'll also need to pay for your energy via a direct debit.

The firm says the overall goal is to use 30% less energy, but you’ll earn money however much you save.

Customers can sign up online and then you'll be invited to take part in each event by email, either on the day or the day before.

Each event will last between 30 minutes and 4 hours, British Gas said.

The exact time of each event will differ depending on when the National Grid triggers the DFS, so it's not yet known when exactly the off-peak hours could be.

Loop

Free smart meter app, Loop relaunched its Turn Down and Save scheme this month.

The scheme paid out over £120,000 to households which have smart meters last year.

During one of at least ten events, households are encouraged to adjust their energy use to "off peak" times.

They typically last an hour, and all participating households are paid £2.50 per kWh saved when they reduce their normal usage by 40%. 

Loop's scheme in particular is designed to help those who may not have access to it through their own supplier.

E.On

E.On has also confirmed to The Sun that it will be taking part in the DFS this year.

Last year, those who took part were able to use the cash they saved as credit towards their energy bills.

Utilita

Utilita will once again take part in the scheme as well, under its own variation called Power Payback.

The company said it will be offering the scheme to Pay As You Go customers.

EDF

EDF customers will have the opportunity to earn up to £100 credit on their account this winter if they take part in 'Beat the Peak'.

In its second year, EDF is offering eligible customers the chance to earn up to £3 for every kWh of electricity they reduce during demand flexibility service events, which are organised by National Grid, and will likely occur during peak use times.

The energy supplier has emailed 559,000 eligible domestic customers – up from circa 150,000 the previous year – detailing how to sign up, with events to begin in early November.

Customers who do register will be notified of events by email on the day, or the day before the event.

Using smart meter data, EDF will then compare how much electricity customers have reduced their usage by and send an email to the customer confirming how much they have earned, with that amount credited to the customer account within two weeks.

Philippe Commaret, managing director for customers at EDF Energy said: "Reducing pressure on the National Grid during times when it is stretched is incredibly important to help it keep up with demand and reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.

"Our smart meter customers are already making savings using our Energy Hub and thanks to this scheme, small changes, like putting the washing machine on later, could make a big difference in helping customers save even more cash and carbon."

To take part customers must have a working smart meter for their electricity supply, and be opted into half-hourly meter reads. EDF have contacted customers who have not opted out of marketing.

Scottish Power

Scottish Power is on the list on ESO's website, so will be taking part.

A spokesperson for ScottishPower said: "ScottishPower is launching 'Power Saver' as part of the ESO's Demand Flexibility Service and will soon be getting in touch with our eligible smart meter customers via email.

"Those who choose to sign up and download our Power Saver App will be notified ahead of each event and asked to consume less energy at those peak times.

"Customers will be rewarded with points for each kWh they turn down when compared to their baseline usage, and their points can be redeemed against a range of reward options."

Shell Energy

Shell Energy has announced that it will be taking part in this winter’s Demand Flexibility Service.

Customers who take part in Smart Flex will win over £70,000 in prizes for shifting their electricity usage outside peak hours.

Customers who participate in Smart Flex events, and reduce their usage, will receive entries into a prize draw to win one of 300 gift cards worth £20 each.

There will be a minimum of 12 events, totalling over £70,000 in prizes to be won.

Customers will receive an entry into the prize draw for every 0.05kWh they save compared to their average usage.

The more events they take part in, and the more energy they save, the more chances they’ll have to win multiple gift cards.

Smart Flex events will run from November 2023 until March 2024.

A Shell Energy spokesperson said: "Following the success of last year’s scheme, we are once again offering gift card prizes to reward customers for reducing their electricity use, and this year there are even more gift cards to be won.

"Smart Flex is a great opportunity for households to reduce energy usage at peak times and help ESO balance our country's power needs this winter, and we know our customers are keen to rise to the challenge once again."

Registration for the scheme will shortly open to eligible customers, with marketing consent and a communicating smart meter, and from next week they will receive an email explaining how to sign up.

The gift cards can be redeemed at retailers Sainsbury’s, M&S, Amazon.co.uk, and Just Eat. 

Good Energy

Good Energy has also confirmed it's joining National Grid’s scheme this winter.

The supplier's "Power Pause" will be available to customers with a smart meter providing half-hourly readings.

It'll invite eligible households to register their interest.

Good Energy aims to provide at least 24 hours' notice of each "Power Pause" so that customers can choose if they want to opt in, with a reminder on the day itself.

Each event is expected to last from one to four hours.

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Meanwhile, we've rounded up everything you need to know about last winter's scheme to give you an idea of what to expect.

Plus, British Gas, recently extended its PeakSave Sundays scheme until December 31.

You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.

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