Here's how to get rewards for using less electricity during peak hour sessions this winter

Energy customers can earn cash, points or be entered into prize draws this winter if they use less power during a series of single hour-long periods at peak times.

You're unlikely to earn much money, but getting involved is more about playing your part in keeping national carbon emissions low. We've got details of what you'll get from each participating energy company below.

The first event takes place on 16th November between 5pm and 6.30pm. To take part you'll need to be registered for the scheme and have a smart meter sending half-hourly readings.

Whether or not you're part of the scheme, try our 10 ways to save money on energy to find out how you can reduce your energy use

What is the Demand Flexibility Service?

The scheme, run by the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), is a working test of our abilities to slightly alter our energy use in accordance with how much is available to the National Grid at any given time. 

It's designed to make sure that the amount of electricity being taken out of the system balances with what's going into it. 

When demand is higher than supply – for example, when there's a sudden big spike in electricity use – the National Grid quickly generates top-up electricity by firing up a coal power station or burning more gas. 

But if enough energy customers can shift their use away from these spikes, it makes it less likely that fossil fuel generators will be needed. 

The Demand Flexibility Service is designed to test out our capacity for making these adjustments based on energy supply and demand. If successful, it may be used as a model in the future as we head towards a lower carbon energy grid. 

If you choose to take part in the scheme, you'll be rewarded for every unit of electricity your household doesn't use during the hour, compared with how much you would otherwise have used at that time. 

A range of energy companies have signed up to the scheme this winter, as well as some third-party apps. What you'll get back will depend on which company you're registered with and we've got the details on each one below.

Six hour-long events are planned across November and December 2023, with six more to come in January and February 2024. There might be other, longer, events if they're needed. 

How to take part in this winter's energy-saving scheme

You'll need a smart meter to take part. You'll also need to have agreed to it sending meter readings every half hour.

This is so that your energy supplier can tell how much electricity you have used during each hour-long event.

Then you'll need to sign up with your energy provider to be included in the scheme. You can do that now, even before dates for the scheme have been announced.

Not all energy suppliers are taking part. If yours isn't on the list below, there are a few third-party energy saving apps through which you can join in, including Hugo, Ivie and Loop.

Once you're signed up, you'll get an email or text in advance of an energy-saving session letting you know when it will be. 

You'll usually need to opt in at least 30 minutes before each event starts. You don't have to take part in each event even if you sign up. There's no penalty if you're not able to participate.

Don't have a smart meter yet? Here's what to expect from a smart meter installation

How much money could I earn?

You're unlikely to earn much. Last year, more than half of those who took part received between £1 and £5, according to a report from the Centre of Sustainable Energy. 

It's not a money making scheme – it's better to think of it as a community effort to reduce electricity use and therefore carbon emissions at peak times, and trial out a more flexible approach to using electricity from the National Grid. 

Which energy companies are taking part?

All of the biggest energy providers are running schemes this winter. Customers earn the rewards by reducing their energy use during the specific times set by National Grid ESO. 

Energy firms have different names for their schemes, different benefits and the criteria to join can vary, too. You can only sign up to one.

Once you're signed up, you'll get an email or text from your provider letting you know in advance of when the hour-long sessions are going to be.

• British Gas PeakSave Winter gives customers credit back in their account. You'll get a minimum of £1 for each session you take part in, even if you don't hit its target to reduce your electricity use by 30%. It also runs PeakSave Sundays with half-price electricity between 11am and 4pm.
• EDF Energy calls its scheme Beat the Peak and pays customers up to £3 per kWh of electricity saved. You'll get the credit paid into your online account.
• Eon Next ran #EnergyShift last year. It paid credit into customers' accounts who reduced their electricity use to hit a personal target (set by Eon Next).
• Good Energy Power Pause gives customers credit on their energy bill for reducing their consumption.
• 100 Green High Tide Saver events pay credit into customers' account for every kilowatt hour less of electricity used compared with the same time on a normal day.
• Octopus Energy Saving Sessions reward customers with Octopoints for reducing their energy use. How many you can earn vary by event and you'll get a bonus if you take part in more than one in a row. Octopus also plans to run Surprise Sessions at a couple of hours' notice with bigger rewards. Octopoints can be exchanged for account credits, charity donations or Octopus merchandise.
• Outfox the Market Customers who take part will get credit paid into their energy account. The top five savers will be entered into a prize draw at the end of the scheme.
• Ovo Energy Power Move Plus lets customers earn energy bill credit for using less electricity than your personal use target (set by Ovo). It also has a separate scheme called Power Move, which sets customers quarterly challenges to use power at less popular times. 
• Scottish Power Power Saver gives customers points to use towards an eGift card. You'll get points for each kWh you reduce your use by compared with usual.
• Shell Energy Smart Flex says that for every 0.05kWh of energy saved, customers earn one entry into a prize draw per event to win gift cards from retailers including Amazon, Just Eat, M&S and Sainsbury's.
• Utilita The Power Payback scheme means customers earn credit on their meter for reducing electricity use below their normal amount. You'll get paid the reduction multipied by the unit rate provided for each event.

If your energy supplier isn't offering a scheme, or you'd prefer to choose another one, there are several schemes from third parties. You can only sign up once, so if you sign up to one of these, you can't join your provider's scheme as well.

• Equiwatt's powerdown events give you points depending on how much you cut your electricity use. You can redeem these for vouchers and charity donations. You'll also be entered into prize draws. 
• Hugo The apps Winter Cashback pays you cash at the end of winter for energy saved, or it can donate it to the FuelBank Foundation. Those who save the most can win prizes from Hugo's gift shop.
• Ivie Flex & Save gives customers points if they reduce their electricity use by at least 10% for at least 30 minutes. You can use the points to enter weekly raffles to win £25 Amazon vouchers or monthly raffles for other prizes.
• LoopIts energy-saving app scheme Turn Down and Save pays £2.50 per kilowatt hour saved if you reduce your use by 40%. You can turn this into vouchers or donate it to an energy poverty charity via Loop.
• USwitch The UTrack Money Back scheme says customers can earn up to £3 per kWh of electricity you reduce your use by. You'll be paid by bank transfer after the scheme has ended (after 31 March 2024) or you can donate your earnings to charity via its app.

When are the energy saving sessions?

National Grid ESO decides the times and days its Demand Flexibility Service runs. They're most likely to be on weekday evenings, when energy use peaks, it has said.

If you sign up to the scheme, you'll get a message to tell you when the next session will be.

But you won't get much notice, which is typically less than 24 hours. Some of the sessions will be announced on the same day that they run.

The first session will run on 16th November from 5 pm to 6.30pm. We'll update this story as we hear the dates and times of each session.

On the whole, electrical items such as TVs, phone chargers and laptops (and lights as long as they are low-energy bulbs) don't use much electricity, so you won't save much by turning them off. The best savings will be found if you avoid using energy-guzzling white goods, such as tumble dryers, dishwashers and washing machines, during the saving sessions. 

For an idea of where to start find out how much your appliances cost to run. 

For more energy-saving tips and tricks, read our guide to 10 ways to reduce your energy bills.