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Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Levi Winchester & Nicola Roy

British Gas confirms it will pay customers to use washing machines at night

Energy giant British Gas has confirmed it will give customers money back if they use electricity outside of popular times in the coming months.

People can get paid to use energy-sucking appliances such as washing machines, tumble driers and ovens late at night or early in the morning.

You'll need to opt-in to the scheme and may be asked to slash your electricity use by 30% from 4pm-7pm however no details have been confirmed yet, the Mirror reports.

British Gas has also not confirmed how much customers can get paid for opting in to the scheme, but MoneySavingExpert says a trial will launch “later this year”.

It comes after the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) confirmed it is encouraging energy companies to sign up to a new scheme this winter, aimed at preventing blackouts.

The ESO said those who avoid using energy-guzzling appliances when demand is high will get back £3 per kilowatt hour - up from the 52p previously announced.

Octopus Energy, who piloted the ESO scheme earlier this year, was the first supplier to officially sign up to the new initiative.

It expects to pay customers £4 on average during peak times between November and March through its Saving Sessions service.

Octopus says this will add up to £100 over winter, if a customer cuts their electricity use by 1kWh once or twice a week, up to around 25 times in total.

OVO Energy has also announced a similar scheme - but this is separate to the run being one by the ESO.

OVO customers who cut their energy use by 12.5% between 4pm and 7pm will get £20 per month.

The new Power Move trial will run from November to March as well, meaning OVO households can also get up to £100.

MoneySavingExpert reports that the British Gas scheme is being run together with the ESO. The Mirror has asked British Gas for more information.

The ESO first published information about the new "Demand Flexibility Service" in a report last month.

It's up to each energy supplier to decide whether they sign up - if they do, then their customers will be encouraged to use less energy during peak times.

But customers will need a smart meter to take part in the scheme.

It comes after the ESO warned households could face planned three-hour blackouts on "really cold evenings" this winter.

This would be in the event of system operators suffering a shortage of gas - although experts say this is "unlikely" to happen.

The idea of using less electricity when demand is normally particularly high is that it should help ease the burden on power grids and prevent blackouts.

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