First Demand Flexibility Service test event to take place tomorrow night

• Households and businesses will be asked to reduce their electricity usage during this period in return for points, pounds and prizes from their registered service provider.
• 1.4 million businesses and households have so far signed up to participate in the service.
• 37 suppliers, aggregators and businesses have so far signed up to act as registered providers in the service.
• The Demand Flexibility Service first launched last winter and saw 1.6 million households and businesses take part with 31 registered providers, saving over 3,300MWh of electricity.

The ESO, the electricity system operator for Great Britain’s national electricity network, has announced it will run the first test event for the 2023/24 Demand Flexibility Service on Thursday night (16 November).

The first event of this year’s Demand Flexibility Service will take place between 5pm and 6:30pm on Thursday night.

Households and businesses will be asked to reduce their electricity usage during this period in return for points, pounds and prizes from the registered providers they’ve signed up with.

Given the increased participation in this years’ Demand Flexibility Service this test event will be staggered across the providers, with some asked to participate between 5-6pm and others asked to participate between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. Consumers should look out for information from their registered provider on when they will be asked to participate.

So far 1.4 million businesses and households have signed up to participate in the service since it became available on 30 October.

Consumers and businesses who haven’t signed up can still get involved by signing up with one of the 37 suppliers, aggregators and businesses who have signed up to act as registered providers in the service. The full list of registered providers is available on the ESO’s website.

The Demand Flexibility Service incentivises households with smart meters, as well as industrial and commercial users, to voluntarily flex the time they use their electricity to help manage the system this winter during periods where margins are tightest. 

Last winter, 31 providers and 1.6million households and businesses participated in the Demand Flexibility Service successfully saving over 3,300MWh across 22 events, enough to power nearly 10 million homes. This year, we're committed to developing the service even further and are keen for more consumers and businesses, large and small, to take advantage of this opportunity to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint.

Claire Dykta, Director of Markets ESO

“We’re excited to see that providers, consumer households and businesses are getting engaged in such numbers this year with the Demand Flexibility Service. We’re really pleased to see the high level of participation at this early stage and expect this only to grow as more people get engaged in demand flexibility for the first time, following the success of the service last year.”