MADRID, 11 (EUROPEAN PRESS)

British energy company Octopus Energy has announced an energy saving plan that includes a remuneration system aimed at its UK customers that reduces their consumption during peak demand hours, the company reported in a statement on Tuesday.

The company estimates that the so-called “savings sessions” will enable about 1.4 million of its customers with smart meters and about 5,000 companies to receive this compensation.

“For each unit of energy a customer saves compared to their normal use over a period of time, Octopus plans to pay customers an average of four pounds (about €4.56 at current exchange rates), which could save about 100 pounds. (around 114 euros) during the winter”, explains the company.

The program will run between November 2022 and March 2023 and its aim is to help “balance the grid and reduce dependence on gas” in the UK to minimize “power outages that have been warned by the UK power grid that homes across the country could suffer this winter. .”

Octopus Energy states that it has tested this service in the UK between February and March 2022, together with National Grid ESO, with around 100,000 of its customers with smart meters and it is evident that “households consume less energy in times of high demand, if they receive incentives. relatively small economy.

In that case, customers receive emails and text messages in advance to notify them of the two-hour window in which they should reduce their consumption. In total, consumption of 197 megawatts per hour (MWh) is avoided during maximum demand hours.

“Instead of cutting supply to all parts of the country if there is a gas shortage, we can reward people who consume less energy at times of peak demand. We are the first energy provider to offer this service to our customers, and we hope others will follow our example. This way, we can make blackouts a thing of the past and reduce costs for everyone,” said Octopus Energy Group CEO Greg Jackson.