You can get paid to use electricity — here’s how

You can earn money just by being a bit flexible with when you use electricity. It’s not widely talked about yet, but it’s already happening in the UK.

At certain times — especially early evening — demand on the electricity grid rises quite sharply. One way to deal with these peaks is to build more infrastructure.
The other — often cheaper — option is to reward households for easing off at those times. This is what’s often called electricity flexibility.

What does being “flexible” actually mean?

Usually, small, temporary changes, like:

• running your dishwasher a bit later
• delaying EV charging
• or using slightly less electricity for an hour when asked

In return, you may get a reward or bill credit.

Why this matters for you

• You can earn money directly for small, short changes
• If enough people take part, the grid can avoid expensive upgrades to infrastructure
• That helps keep overall energy costs (and bills) from rising as quickly
• It can also lower emissions, as there’s less need to rely on fossil fuels during busy periods.

What you can do

• Check your energy supplier’s app or website for things like “saving sessions” or “flexibility events”
• If you have a smart meter, see if your supplier offers rewards for reducing usage at certain times
• If you have an EV, check whether your charger or car app offers smart charging or reward schemes

The energy flexibility idea is straightforward — it’s about using electricity in a way that works a bit better for both you and the electricity system.

There’s another side to this too. When you use electricity doesn’t just affect your bill — it also affects your carbon footprint. We’ll look at that next.