Incentive to use more energy in peak times!!

Chris_B_

Hi,
I have just been offered an opportunity to get £3 per kWh saved from 5 to 6. The thing is that I currently don't use a lot of energy at this time, so saving 1kwh means using under 200 wh! (I usually eat around 5 so finish cooking before this). I'm not sure if I managed it, the meter graph looks like I'm on the line.

Perversely this now incentiveses me to switch my energy usage to peak times, so cook later, start appliances at 5pm, etc. That way when they say they will pay me to use less I can easily save compared to the now higher average.

Have they thought this through?

[Deleted User]

Yes, they have.

Grizzlebeard

I imagine they will calculate the ratio of how much you use within the peak window compared to your average total daily usage.

Who knows, perhaps you qualify for the payment already. 

daveyjp

The companies won't be offering anything which costs them money.

If you start using energy between 5 and 6 they will switch the hours to when you can get £3 per kWh to when you don't use much.

It's like incentivising a non drinker to reduce their alcohol consumption.

Ultrasonic

Chris_B_ said:

I have just been offered an opportunity to get £3 per kWh saved from 5 to 6. The thing is that I currently don't use a lot of energy at this time, so saving 1kwh means using under 200 wh! (I usually eat around 5 so finish cooking before this). I'm not sure if I managed it, the meter graph looks like I'm on the line.

Perversely this now incentiveses me to switch my energy usage to peak times, so cook later, start appliances at 5pm, etc. That way when they say they will pay me to use less I can easily save compared to the now higher average.

Have they thought this through?

I'd expect them to use historic data to judge the usage saved in the 17:00 to 18:00 window, not something you might suddenly start doing now with a view to then claiming you've reduced your usage in the near future.

What I'm personally more surprised about is that the peak period starts as early and is as short.

[Deleted User]

Ok, I'll elaborate.

To get any sort of extra reward by using more to give yourself a higher target is simple.

If you want to do the "using more" at the same time as the proposed saving hours (which could be different every time and you only know one day in advance), you need to do it for ten days in a row.  That's going to cost you a lot.

If you want to do the "using more" in the in-day adjustment calculation window, you only need to do it on the day of the saving hours.  The window is between 4 hours and 1 hour before the start of the saving period.

daveyjp said:

The companies won't be offering anything which costs them money.

If you start using energy between 5 and 6 they will switch the hours to when you can get £3 per kWh to when you don't use much.

Completely irrelevant and not how this situation works at all.  The suppliers get paid by National Grid to reduce consumption in certain specific periods, notified a day in advance.  All this is doing is passing on that payment.