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Is being part of Power Move really worth it?

I
Rank

Hi

I am very conscious of the electricity I use, long before Power Move. I use my washing machine in the morning so I can hang out the clothes early and get them dry. I’ve never had a tumble drier. I use my dish washer at night as the eco wash takes nearly three hours. I usually start making dinner after 7pm and only use the TV or radio between 4.00 and 7.00. I never leave the TV on standby but switch it off at the plug. Recently, with the better weather, I’ve been outside more at this time so not using any electricity other than fridge. Despite all this, I have never been successful in a Power Move period.

So, I ask, is this worth it?? 

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Best answer by Nukecad 6 June 2024, 15:34

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30 replies

D
Rank
Userlevel 2

If you have always done that and haven’t change your use, you are not moving anything.   If you are so conscious of energy use, why don’t you wash your dishes by hand !

I
Rank

If I’d known this was the kind of “helpful” comment I would get, I wouldn’t have bothered. 

J
Rank
Userlevel 3

I got email this morning and l didn’t achieve target for may. it’s hard because l work different hours. try to do washing different times like they say. but dinner not waiting because should do after nine much to late. we have  eight thirty. we are use to that time.

L
Rank

I'm with you on this! I always get the emails telling me I'm nearly there or that I've missed it! I don't know what else I can do?

I've had double glazing fitted, my thermostat is set at 19C, I've batch cooked to be more economical, but I have COPD & am on oxygen 24/7 so there's no way I can turn that off!

I find being told that I use 50% more electricity than a similar household very disheartening as I know I do as a similar household doesn't have an oxygen concentrator switched on all the time. I think I'd like to be removed from the Power Move scheme  - I understand it can't work for everyone, but to be told month after month that I've failed, does nothing for my morale! It's bad enough having an illness that can't be cured! 

 

 

 

K
Rank

I am very surprised to see that I seem to be using significantly more energy in peak times during this spring challenge. In January and February I used just over 9% electricity during peak times and in March just over 10%. Meaning I received the maximum reward. I am doing everything the same as I did during the winter challenge but adjusted to the new peak time timeframe yet using over 13%. 

Has anyone else questioned their usage calculations? I think something dodgy is going on and calculations are not being done based on the 6-9 time slot. I even emailed OVO and had no response (love that kind of customer service). 

F
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Userlevel 4
Badge

Hi

I am very conscious of the electricity I use, long before Power Move. I use my washing machine in the morning so I can hang out the clothes early and get them dry. I’ve never had a tumble drier. I use my dish washer at night as the eco wash takes nearly three hours. I usually start making dinner after 7pm and only use the TV or radio between 4.00 and 7.00. I never leave the TV on standby but switch it off at the plug. Recently, with the better weather, I’ve been outside more at this time so not using any electricity other than fridge. Despite all this, I have never been successful in a Power Move period.

So, I ask, is this worth it?? 

I’m afraid you’re confusing what power move is for.  It is NOT about reducing your consumption its about MOVING any usage from peak times.  If you already don’t use much at peak times you have NOTHING to move and will NEVER meet the targets.  We always meet the target, this month we only used 5.5% at peak times, the main reason we do is we have an EV that is responsible for the highest % of our usage and its never charged at peak times.

Gillarms
Rank
Userlevel 3

I only used 9.9% during peak hours in May and received the whole £10. It's obviously do-able, I just make sure that I do nothing other than watch TV or listen to music between 6 and 9. Every other electrical device gets used overnight or during the day, once you get into the habit, it's quite easy.

Garms
T
Rank
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

Answering your original question - yes, of course. It doesn’t cost you anything, and you might occasionally get refunds without doing anything, so why not?

 

Tony

 

S
Rank
Userlevel 1

Hi

I am very conscious of the electricity I use, long before Power Move. I use my washing machine in the morning so I can hang out the clothes early and get them dry. I’ve never had a tumble drier. I use my dish washer at night as the eco wash takes nearly three hours. I usually start making dinner after 7pm and only use the TV or radio between 4.00 and 7.00. I never leave the TV on standby but switch it off at the plug. Recently, with the better weather, I’ve been outside more at this time so not using any electricity other than fridge. Despite all this, I have never been successful in a Power Move period.

So, I ask, is this worth it?? 

 Power Move is one of those things where if you already am a good user, you won't get any benefits. It's for people who have bad habits, who then are ready to change. 

 

One tip I can give you though is to move things from weekend to weekdays. Power move is only during weekdays and if you use more power outside the power move hours, your % usage during power move hours will be lower. 

K
Rank

Yeah completely agree that its doable because I have received the £15 reward and multiple £10 when they changed it to the 3 different levels. That’s why I am so surprised that I now only received £3. 

T
Rank
Userlevel 1

I'm in the same position as you Iona. I really don't think it's worth it for me but am not sure how you leave. I am so fed up with emails telling me 'You failed' and repeating the same advice of what to do, all of which I know and are either irrelevant, I'm doing already or are impractical for me. I am a single household, use very few appliances, washing machine in economy 7 hours early morning, etc. the only change I could make to reduce peak hour consumption would be spend my evenings on my own, in silence, by candlelight! Sorry but that's not realistic, much as I care about the environment etc. How does one leave though?

NB If anyone is tempted to tell me you always meet your target and I should do x, y and z please don't bother!! I really have heard it all before.

S
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Userlevel 3
Badge

It will probably depend on how much energy you’re using during the non power move time periods.

How is your house heated and when? Gas/ Electric / Heat pump? 24/7

How is your hot water heated and when?

What was your overall energy use during the months in question?

Nukecad
Rank
Userlevel 7

I usually start making dinner after 7pm and only use the TV or radio between 4.00 and 7.00.

If you are cooking on electricity then there is your answer.

The Power Move hours changed for the Spring Challenge that started with April and are no longer 4-7. Did you not notice the new hours on your emails? It was stated clearly.

The current Power Move hours are 6pm to 9pm, so if you have high eletricity use like cooking to move outside of those hours then that’s the way to hit the target.

That’s basically all that I do for Power Move, change when I cook by electricity along with avoiding using the kettle during the PM hours, and I’ve hit the maximum reward every month since I joined Power Move.

Today I have zero energy, my plan zero is going back to sleep.
Nukecad
Rank
Userlevel 7

I'm with you on this! I always get the emails telling me I'm nearly there or that I've missed it! I don't know what else I can do?

I think I'd like to be removed from the Power Move scheme  - I understand it can't work for everyone, but to be told month after month that I've failed, does nothing for my morale! It's bad enough having an illness that can't be cured! 

 

 

I understand how disheartening such emails would be in your situation.

If you do wish to leave Power Move and not receive any further emails about it then you can open any one of the emails that you get about it and scroll to the bottom where you will find a link that you can click to unsubscribe and leave Power Move, it looks like this on the email that I got this morning, just click on that underlined text to leave Power Move.
 

 

Today I have zero energy, my plan zero is going back to sleep.
S
Rank

Your post, and the latest update on my usage from OVO, refers to a 6 - 9 pm. window for reducing electricity usage.   However, when I joined this scheme, OVO said the rewards were for 4 to 7 p.m. and they didn’t tell me the time window had changed.   So I’ve been saving electricity for the wrong time window this last month!

Nukecad
Rank
Userlevel 7

The Power Move hours changed when the Winter Challenge changed to the Spring Challenge, starting in April.

The email that you got at the time told you that quite clearly, and so did the announcement in the forum.

Most Power Move participants did change their hours as notified and many are still meeting the target, but you are not the only one who missed the change of hours.

I'm sure that they will try to make it even clearer when the target hours change again.

(But TBH it was already pretty clear if you read your emails).

Today I have zero energy, my plan zero is going back to sleep.
S
Rank

Hi

I am very conscious of the electricity I use, long before Power Move. I use my washing machine in the morning so I can hang out the clothes early and get them dry. I’ve never had a tumble drier. I use my dish washer at night as the eco wash takes nearly three hours. I usually start making dinner after 7pm and only use the TV or radio between 4.00 and 7.00. I never leave the TV on standby but switch it off at the plug. Recently, with the better weather, I’ve been outside more at this time so not using any electricity other than fridge. Despite all this, I have never been successful in a Power Move period.

So, I ask, is this worth it?? 

Initially I found the power moves a challenge and it inspired me to blitz the house and do a good clean during the power up periods but powering down during the time I normally cook tea in the evening wasn't saving me money as I was staying late at work and buying take-out so not a financial saving. I'd say, keep doing what you're doing if you're happy with your bills. If you see an opportunity to shift some of your usage, like doing a wash in the evening ready for hanging out the next day, or hoovering during a power up then go for it but don't change your life around for it. Last week, none of my power shifts got recorded because they couldn't get a meter reading at the "right times". That's annoying! 🤨

Nukecad
Rank
Userlevel 7

@Saranne

You appear to be talking about Power Move Flex which is a diferent scheme to Power Move itself and works in a different way.

Power Move Flex has it’s own forum group which you can join here:
https://forum.ovoenergy.com/groups/power-move-flex-165

Today I have zero energy, my plan zero is going back to sleep.
N
Rank

You are very lucky to have earned £10 and £15!  My reward was 38p! I look forward to that being taken off my bill!

I don’t use electricity at the times stated, don’t use a tumble drier, try to minimise the use of the oven, but still I am being told I haven’t reached their target.  perhaps iof I go away for a month I might just earn £1!

Is it really worth it - in my opinion NO!

Nukecad
Rank
Userlevel 7

You are very lucky to have earned £10 and £15!  My reward was 38p!

That is not Power Move then.

It may have been Power Move Plus which was run last winter (OVO’s name for the industry wide ‘Demand Flexibility Scheme’).

Or it may be Power Move Flex, (OVO’s name for the National Grid ‘Crowdflex’ project) which is still running alongside the standard Power Move.
Power Move Flex has its own forum group which you can join:
https://forum.ovoenergy.com/groups/power-move-flex-165

And yes - the similar names can be confusing.

Today I have zero energy, my plan zero is going back to sleep.
Firedog
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge

I am doing everything the same as I did during the winter challenge but adjusted to the new peak time timeframe yet using over 13%.

 

Are you sure about ‘doing everything the same’? In the winter, we all switch lights on earlier and off later than in the spring and summer. We all use more energy on heating, and we spend less time outdoors. It’s not just what you do between 6 PM and 9 PM that counts - what you use at other times does, too. If you use less after 9 PM and before 6 PM now than you were doing in the winter, but using just the same after 6 PM and before 9 PM, then the percentage will be higher, as you’ve discovered. 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
S
Rank

As I said before, I wasn’t sent an e-mail informing me of the change of low usage times and, at the time, I wasn’t a member of this forum.   However, I have now changed the time of putting the dishwasher on, which is about the only appliance that it is practical to flex the usage of in this house.   We’re not going to miss out on TV programmes that we enjoy watching, rewards or no rewards!

ChristopherS_OVO
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Userlevel 4
Badge

Hey @Topsy & @Lady P,

 

I’m sorry that the Power Move challenge wasn’t the right opportunity for you! I can see that one of our volunteers @Nukecad has already given some advice on how to leave the challenge, but I'd like to add that you can also opt out through your online account. If your circumstances change and you’d like to give it another go, you can opt in again through your online account. 

 

You can find more information on our FAQ page here. 

Renewable energy jokes never get old.
ChristopherS_OVO
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Userlevel 4
Badge

Hey @Streetlyman, 

 

I’m sorry to hear that you never received the email with the updates to the Spring challenge. Any changes to the Challenges are normally communicated out as widely as possible using various platforms such as our Power Move page on the OVO website, Emails & here on the Forum. The key to being successful in the challenge is to move as much of your non essential usage outside of the challenge hours so it sounds like you’re off to a great start by changing your dishwasher time! Hopefully you’re watching some really interesting series on the TV feel free to share any recommendations that you have 😃

Renewable energy jokes never get old.
J
Rank
Userlevel 3

I feel the same they tell you that you are nearly there but missed it for the month. l try and do washing early or later on in evening. cooking is a bit different can’t wait till nine bit late. Ironing l do different times as well. it’s hard doesn’t seem worth it.

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