- The Demand Flexibility Service returns tonight for the second time in a week
- Customers can earn money off their bills by switching up their energy use
- Firms including British Gas and Octopus are taking part
Customers can once again save money by switching energy use to off peak times this evening, as the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) returns for the second time in a week.
The DFS is a National Grid scheme which is meant to avoid electricity shortages by encouraging consumers to use power outside peak times – usually between 4pm and 7pm.
The scheme works by announcing set times and dates where consumers signed up can get money off their bill by using less power.
There was one DFS session on 29 November, and there will be another one tonight (1 December) between 4.30pm and 6pm.
![Turn down: Customers are being offered points and cash for using less energy at peak times](https://topnews.media/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/78470729-12814209-image-a-1_1701438871838.jpg)
Turn down: Customers are being offered points and cash for using less energy at peak times
The National Grid said: ‘Our forecasts show electricity supply margins are expected to be tighter than normal on Friday evening.
‘It does not mean electricity supplies are at risk and people should not be worried. These are precautionary measures to preserve the buffer of spare capacity we need.’
Energy firms including British Gas, EDF and E.On Next have signed up to the DFS scheme.
Some Octopus customers have saved as much as £15 a session from the DFS.
Each energy company runs the DFS scheme in a different way, with some offering cash and others money off energy bills. Households need to have a smart meter to take part.
How much customers can earn depends on their energy firm, how much energy they can save and the parameters of the session set by National Grid ESO.
For example, National Grid ESO has made £5 per kWh saved available for energy firms tonight, and previous sessions paid £4 and £3.
Octopus’ version of the DFS, called Saving Sessions, now has one million customers signed up to get energy bill discounts for the gas and electricity they save at peak times.
British Gas’s version of the DFS is called PeakSave Winter, and has more than 400,000 people signed up.
The energy firm said customers could save £5 per kWh of energy saved.
There are around 1.4 million businesses and households and 37 energy firms signed up to the DFS.
Around £11million was paid out to households and businesses taking part in the DFS last year.
The DFS system is currently unregulated, but there is a code of conduct run by Flex ensure that many energy firms have signed up to, with more regulation to come.