- Britain spent almost £1.5 billion shutting down renewable electricity generation last year.
- Homes with smart meters can now receive free electricity during renewable generation surplus periods
- Octopus customers have already saved millions through experimental free electricity flexibility sessions
The UK is generating more renewable electricity than ever, but its grid often cannot use it all, as when the wind blows strongly or the sun shines and demand is low, demand can fall below what is being produced.
Instead of putting that surplus energy to wider use, the system has routinely paid wind farms to shut down turbines while paying gas plants to remain on standby, a payment practice that has cost the country almost £1.5bn in a single year; Figures from early 2026 suggest the bill continues to accumulate rapidly.
Now, Octopus Energy is looking to change this with a new expansion of its plan to provide free electricity to its users across the UK.
What Octopus Energy is already doing
Octopus Energy has been running its own version of this idea for several years through a system it calls Saving Sessions.
In the future, the company will allow its 8 million customers to use more electricity when wholesale prices plummet.
This approach has already saved customers £4.6 million through free electricity sessions, and Octopus has also paid out £5.8 million to customers who cut off during peak hours.
The company stated that “the changes made to the DFS scheme mean customers can benefit from using more energy when renewables are high.”
British Gas already operates a separate scheme called PeakSave with half-price electricity on Sunday afternoons.
NESO said it may need to use more tools than in previous summers to manage low demand.
More than 36,000 Britons have expressed interest in joining the Octopus Fan Club near local wind turbines.
Joining the Fan Club means that electricity unit rates can be reduced by up to 50% when a local wind turbine is spinning and generating power.
The plan alone will not solve the network bottleneck, but it offers a practical way to reduce waste immediately.
Octopus says it is “very excited” about the change and that the company has a genuine track record of making these sessions work for its clients.
How the Internet is changing its rules
Several energy companies are now testing plans that pay households to use more energy when renewable generation is high.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has also updated its Demand Side Flexibility Scheme (DFS) to offer a solution.
The update allows energy providers to encourage customers to use appliances, charge vehicles or increase their consumption during surplus periods.
Households with smart meters can be offered free or cheaper electricity at certain times, or rewards such as points that convert to gift cards.
The network operator decides when the plan runs and pays the provider if it meets the required change in demand.
It is still uncertain whether other providers will offer the same level of commitment.
Free weekend laundry electricity is a real benefit, but the deeper problem of congested power lines still requires billions in new infrastructure spending.
For now, smart meter households with participating providers can claim a small victory in the face of a very large and wasteful problem.
Via BBC
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