Britons will be rewarded with free electricity if they do their laundry on the weekend
Britons who do their laundry or dishes at the weekend will be rewarded with free electricity in a bid to tackle excess supply.
The National Energy System Operator (Neso) on Tuesday unveiled a new plan to encourage people to increase their electricity use during hours when energy supply is abundant.
Electricity demand is generally lower on weekends, public holidays or when the weather is warm.
The energy supply operator said households with smart meters will be rewarded by “powering up appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers and charging electric vehicles during periods of oversupply” through energy suppliers or third-party apps.
“Alongside other NESO tools, this will help stabilize the system and strengthen energy security.”
Neso’s director of resilience and emergency management, Dr. Deborah Petterson said the tool “will not only reward consumers and businesses for flexible electricity use, but will also strengthen the resilience and efficiency of Great Britain’s electricity network.”
“The work of our excellent engineering teams at Neso means our energy system is well adapted to support a clean, resilient future, putting us in a strong position to manage changing electricity use patterns throughout the summer.”
Electricity demand is generally lower during the summer months, when warm weather increases solar energy production and causes people to change their electricity consumption habits.
Neso said periods of excess energy supply have become more common in recent years. “The growth of smaller local power producers also reduces dependence on large power plants on the national network.”
The plan could also prevent the operator from having to pay wind and solar power plants to shut down and run alternative power sources. In 2025, the UK will pay around £1.5 billion in wasted wind energy costs.
Neso said demand on the transmission network could fall to a record low this summer due to the rise of solar farms and solar panels.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in February caused gas and oil prices to skyrocket worldwide. As a result, many UK households have turned to solar panels and heat pumps to avoid rising energy bills.
Greg Jackson, president of Octopus Energy, said his firm saw a 50 percent increase in solar panel and heat pump sales in March.
Last week, Labor MP Graeme Downie, who sits on the energy select committee, warned that Britons could face higher energy bills in the coming years.
He said it would “still take a long time for prices to return to normal” and that the full impact of the crisis on the cost of living could be felt “at least until 2027/28”.
