National Grid launches scheme to avoid blackouts for Brits with smart meters
The National Grid has announced today a scheme to help shield millions of UK households from blackouts this winter. Families will be offered discounts on their electricity bills if they reduce their peak-time usage on a certain number of days over the winter, and in return, can make savings of up to £100. However, only homes with smart meters will be able to take part. As it stands, less than half of UK households have a smart electricity meter installed. Mark Sait, CEO and founder of the nation’s leading sustainability and money-saving consultancy, SaveMoneyCutCarbon, is available to speak about how national schemes can spark universal change in how we interact with energy and, if sustained, can speed up efforts to reach net zero.
The scheme, launching from November until March called the Demand Flexibility Service comes following warnings of planned blackouts – the first this country has seen in decades. However, this will not account for households that are not using smart meters. As part of the UK Government’s Smart Meter Roll Out, which originally planned that in 2020, all households in the UK would have a smart meter fitted – this has now been delayed until 2025.
Energy expert, Mark Sait, argues that current messaging about how to save is convoluted. The affiliate energy market encourages users to change suppliers far more often than ever, thus having a harsh impact on wholesale energy buying and forecasting. He argues that next time you’re encouraged to switch, consider reducing your energy usage instead of changing your supplier.
A new national survey from SaveMoneyCutCarbon, has outlined the most common ways households can lose and waste energy, and in turn, offer actionable solutions to help those taking part in the Demand Flexibility scheme:
79% of Brits did not know that by swapping a regular light bulb for LED, you could make sizeable savings on your electricity bill
49% of Brits did not know that swapping their old washing machine for an energy-efficient one could reduce their bill by half the price
62% agreed that they did not know that leaving on your appliances accounts for 6% of the average household energy bill
35% of Brits did not know that a fridge-freezer accounts for the largest percentage of household bills
How can people save despite the energy price cap?
Providing sustainable and long-term solutions, SaveMoneyCutCarbon has recently launched its industry-first home app, SaveMoneyCutCarbon Home. The Android and iOS solution provides a personalised view of which products in your home use the most energy, water and single-use plastic, and subsequently suggests swaps for eco-friendly alternatives. Based on the finding that 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions originate from households, the app is the first to identify the worst domestic energy and waste culprits through its “Swap Shop” tool. The service offers infinite sustainable replacements that can reduce your energy bills and other monthly expenses by hundreds. The launch comes amidst the UK’s worst cost-of-living crisis this generation has ever seen, with energy bills now at a record-breaking 40-year high.
Mark Sait, CEO and founder of SaveMoneyCutCarbon, is an advocate for Brits all over the nation to start making small, but necessary, changes to their lives to help contribute to the wider, global goal. He says:
“As we navigate a turbulent time of geopolitical change, it can be hard to know where to begin when thinking about how to reduce our energy output. The best place to start is to take a step back, observe how we each use energy, and begin implementing small and subtle changes.
“For example, start switching off appliances that aren’t in use from the mains, changing your shower heads to a low-flow model, or the easiest, swapping your incandescent light bulb to an energy-efficient one. This simple, and cost-effective behaviour can reduce your energy consumption by 90%.
We have loads of ways that help inform, educate and advise on the varied but effective ways homeowners and renters can save hundreds on their energy bills, whilst simultaneously lowering their carbon footprint. Be it through our SaveMoneyCutCarbon Home App or our ‘Give Eco A Go’ scheme, we believe that the real way to start observing long-term change for the sake of our planet is through a change in our consumer behaviour.”\
