The Octopus scheme is via the National Grid ESO Demand Flexibility Service. So the National grid may be setting the rules about what counts as a reduction. I haven’t read the National Grid documents. A few suppliers have signed up now looking at the list on the National Grid site. 

If your supplier isn't signed up and you have a smart meter, Loop Energy are providing a service. They keep a small part of the money from the National Grid ESO. 

https://loop.homes/turn-down-and-save/#:~:text=What%20is%20Turn%20Down%20and,generate%20electricity%20at%20peak%20time

The OVO Power Move trial is not part of the wider National Grid ESO Demand Flexibility Service. It just happens to have launched around the same time to a few OVO customers. OVO have yet to decide whether or when they will take part in the Nation Grid ESO Demand Flexibility Service. I suspect they will.

@mjr

Without knowing the actual details of how 'normal' use is to be assessed, it is difficult to be able to predict if the scheme could be open to abuse, but if it is, then I am fairly certain that some will partake in the opportunity.

To provide greater incentive for people to move or reduce their demand during the peak periods, it may be more effective to increase the cost to those who don't, rather than reward those who can. I feel certain that there would be more takers if that were the case.

Posted by: @derek-m

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@mjr

Without knowing the actual details of how 'normal' use is to be assessed, it is difficult to be able to predict if the scheme could be open to abuse, but if it is, then I am fairly certain that some will partake in the opportunity.

To provide greater incentive for people to move or reduce their demand during the peak periods, it may be more effective to increase the cost to those who don't, rather than reward those who can. I feel certain that there would be more takers if that were the case.

Octopus criteria

We’ll look at your historical smart meter data leading up to a Session, and calculate what you usually use at that time of day, on average.

If the Session is on a weekday, we’ll look at your half-hourly usage over the last 10 weekdays (excluding saving session days). If the Session is on a weekend, we’ll look at your half hourly usage over the last 4 weekend days. These half hourly averages are then subject to an ‘In Day Adjustment’ which will make adjustments based on how much energy you’ve used on the day of the session.

We then use these adjusted half-hourly averages as a benchmark – so you’ll earn points for every kilowatt hour you save during your Session.

We got down to 170w when we turned everything off. It seems the WiFi router and CCTV take up quite a bit!

The temperature in the house only shifted by 0.2c so can’t complain!

Posted by: @benseb

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We got down to 170w when we turned everything off. It seems the WiFi router and CCTV take up quite a bit!

The temperature in the house only shifted by 0.2c so can’t complain!

That would seem about a normal level of usage, though if your fridge and freezer are still switched on, they could each draw 50W or more each when the compressor runs.

How did your heat pump respond when you increased the thermostat setting?

Posted by: @jeff

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Posted by: @derek-m

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@mjr

Without knowing the actual details of how 'normal' use is to be assessed, it is difficult to be able to predict if the scheme could be open to abuse, but if it is, then I am fairly certain that some will partake in the opportunity.

To provide greater incentive for people to move or reduce their demand during the peak periods, it may be more effective to increase the cost to those who don't, rather than reward those who can. I feel certain that there would be more takers if that were the case.

Octopus criteria

 

We’ll look at your historical smart meter data leading up to a Session, and calculate what you usually use at that time of day, on average.

If the Session is on a weekday, we’ll look at your half-hourly usage over the last 10 weekdays (excluding saving session days). If the Session is on a weekend, we’ll look at your half hourly usage over the last 4 weekend days. These half hourly averages are then subject to an ‘In Day Adjustment’ which will make adjustments based on how much energy you’ve used on the day of the session.

We then use these adjusted half-hourly averages as a benchmark – so you’ll earn points for every kilowatt hour you save during your Session.

 

So if one bumps up one's usage, during the peak period, for the next couple of weeks during the none session days, it should soon be possible to achieve a good reduction on the session days. Simples. 😎 

In the end, I switched off the pump for an hour in order to switch off both hot water and heating. Plus pretty much everything in the house apart from our fridges. By going and doing some supermarket shopping in that hour all lights were off too.

In the hour the pump was off, it barely made any difference to the temperature in the house which I thought was interesting.

Posted by: @derek-m

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Posted by: @benseb

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We got down to 170w when we turned everything off. It seems the WiFi router and CCTV take up quite a bit!

The temperature in the house only shifted by 0.2c so can’t complain!

That would seem about a normal level of usage, though if your fridge and freezer are still switched on, they could each draw 50W or more each when the compressor runs.

How did your heat pump respond when you increased the thermostat setting?

 

it was running at about 33c before I turned it down. After an hour it turned it back on and it climbed to 38c for 2 hours then back to 36c

But also have to consider the outdoor temp dropped from 10c to 7c in the same time. So I think that was reasonable. 

We managed to get £5.29 back, so not too bad for an hour with everything off while we went to Tesco 

We made £7.57 (91% reduction in usage). Impressed with that. 

@benseb That’s amazing!

We made a 95% reduction in consumption for £1.31 (0.56kwh or something like that). We were in the top 10% of reducers though so we get a bonus 1000 OctoPoints, which is worth another £1.25 apparently. £2.56 for very little work is great and nothing to sniff at, but it does stick in the craw a bit that we could have got more if we were less responsible with our energy usage by default.