Over 2.2 million businesses and households have signed up to participate in the Demand Flexibility Service, along with 43 providers.
So far participating providers have earned over £9.3million, which they have passed on to customers.
Following the launch of the Demand Flexibility Service in November 2023 the Electricity System Operator (ESO) has run seven test events to promote participation and to enable learning around demand flexibility.
Big suppliers such as British Gas and EDF take part in the scheme offering thousands of customers the chance to make savings.
British Gas announced they will now allow prepayment customers to benefit from their cost-saving scheme.
Over 16,000-meter customers signed up to take part in last night’s event between 5:30pm – 6:30pm.
Across the eight total events held in 2023, consumer households and businesses have saved a total of 2,507MWh, enough to power over 7.5million households during these events, roughly 27 percent of GB households.
So far participating providers have earned over £9.3million which they have passed onto households and businesses in the form of pounds, points and prizes.
The ESO a subsidiary of the Grid, said it will be looking to run 12 test events between November 2023 and March 2024 where households can make the savings.
Customers must have signed up through their supplier, otherwise, they won’t be able to take part.
In 2022, 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 ESO will pay energy suppliers £3 per kilowatt hour that is saved, and it will be up to individual providers to decide how much of that to pass on to customers.
A typical household can reportedly shave up to £100 off their energy bills if they participate in all 12 demonstration tests over the five-month period.
Octopus Energy, which saw 700,000 customers sign up for the service, said the best-performing homes were able to save an average of £40 of their bills when they participated in the scheme’s trial last winter.
The most active supplier in the DFS, Octopus Energy also said customers that opted in to the service last year got around £3.37 for every unit of electricity they save.
A big change to the service for winter 23/24 has been the introduction of within-day as well as day ahead test notifications, to ask consumer households and businesses to change their electricity usage at shorter notice than last year.
The ESO will now look to hold further test events until the end of March when this year’s service will come to a close. These additional test events will help promote further learning from the Demand Flexibility Service.
Claire Dykta, ESO Director of Markets said: “The Demand Flexibility Service continues to grow from strength to strength.
“Households and businesses up and down the country are demonstrating their continued interest and commitment to electricity flexibility and are reaping the rewards for their participation.”
