Households could get free electricity for doing washing on sunny weekends
Households could get free electricity for doing washing on sunny weekends
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has introduced a new initiative allowing residential and commercial users to access subsidized or free electricity when operating appliances during times of surplus power, such as weekends with abundant sunlight. This marks a shift from previous strategies where providers only incentivized customers to reduce energy usage during peak hours.
Until recently, energy companies in the UK offered discounts to encourage people to adjust their electricity consumption away from high-demand periods. Now, NESO’s updated Demand Flexibility Service enables providers to reward users for boosting energy use when “weather patterns create excess supply,” according to the regulator. This change aims to prevent wasted power and strengthen grid resilience during the summer months.
Summer sees lower electricity demand due to milder weather and longer days, while solar generation peaks. NESO highlighted that renewable output, particularly from wind, has surged, with solar production increasing by nearly a third compared to 2024 levels. The 2025 summer, the UK’s sunniest on record, also witnessed a new record for rooftop solar installations, totaling around 250,000 new small-scale setups.
Under the revised scheme, customers with smart meters can be rewarded for using appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, or charging electric vehicles during times of high renewable generation and low demand. NESO will communicate to energy providers when the program should activate, then distribute payments based on how effectively companies adjust demand. These rewards may include discounted electricity rates or points redeemable for gift cards.
The system varies by region, meaning some areas might prompt users to increase usage, while others encourage conservation. Participating companies include British Gas, Equiwatt, and Octopus Energy. NESO emphasized that managing low-demand periods has grown more complex, potentially requiring more frequent use of tools like instructing power stations to reduce output for safety.
“The complexity of operating the system at low demand is increasing, and we may need to use more of our tools, and use them more often, than in previous summers,” NESO stated.
National Gas reassured that the UK will have sufficient supply for the summer, relying primarily on imports from the UK Continental Shelf and Norway. Glenn Bryn-Jacobsen, the company’s director of energy systems and resilience, noted: “While Middle East tensions have raised concerns about gas supplies, our forecasts confirm the market can meet demand this summer.” Despite the rise in renewable energy, fossil fuels still play a critical role in balancing the grid, especially when solar or wind output fluctuates.
