(Bloomberg) -- The UK’s grid operator will launch a service next week that will allow homes and businesses to get paid for using less power during times when the grid is strained.
The Demand Flexibility Service — first set up during the energy crisis to help Britain manage price spikes during winter months — will now be available during the entire year, the National Energy System Operator said Thursday. It will start on Nov. 27 and consumers will be able to participate via their energy suppliers.
Increasing the flexibility of demand is a crucial tool for the UK to cut emissions and reach a zero carbon electric grid by the end of the decade. When demand exceeds supply, the grid operator usually has to pay gas power plants to fire up and provide more electricity. By incentivizing power saving, it lowers the need to burn more fossil fuels.
“Opening up access for consumers and businesses to participate in the electricity market year-round is a significant step in the delivery of consumer flexibility,” Rebecca Beresford, director of markets at NESO, said in a statement.
More than 2.6 million households and businesses took part in the Demand Flexibility Service during the last two years, saving over 7,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, NESO said. They can earn cash or other rewards for participating in the scheme.
(Updates with additional details on program in fifth paragraph. A previous version of the story corrected the date of the announcement.)
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