Power Move for low users

I think, as others have said, you misunderstand what power move is for. It isn't aimed at low usage users as you're already not using much as it is! We always meet the target this month our peak usage was only 5.65% we have an EV so it isn't charged at peak times, and we're a electric only household no mains gas so the only thing we normally do during peak time is cook and we try and avoid that if we can. Washing, dishwasher, tumble isn't done at peak times. Both the wife and I wfh quite often (I'm wfh today and we both will be tomorrow) but normally we're done by 4pm and 2 days a week there won't be anyone home from 4-7 daughters at gymnastics training until 8pm and the wife quite often works away 1 or 2 days a week.  I think you're basically making your life uncomfortable to try and meet an impossible target. 

Perhaps, I am a medium user.   But, running just one fridge, one freezer, one gas CH, one tele, one wi-fi modem, a couple of wireless phones, a doorbell, an oven clock, a microwave clock, a couple of laptop chargers, and a few LED and fluorescent light bulbs and not forgetting the smart meters themselves gets me up to about 500W.   At least I don’t have a heat pump, or electric heater, or immersion heater.  And, as I said it’s making sure the CH, fridge and freezer don’t actually run during the hour that allows me to get down to 30W.

     Rgds,

             Steve

Hi @AilitaV ,

That is a terrible situation to be in and you have my sympathy. I won't go on a party political rant but I am appalled by the scale of poverty that we put up with in this country.

It is easy to say try this or have you considered that but you are already taking extreme measures to reduce your energy consumption. Hopefully, Ovo are giving you the support you need to keep your bills as low as possible. Maybe @Tim_OVO or one of the other moderators could contact you to make sure that you are getting all the help that is available.

Take care, 

Simon

I do agree l find it hard to achieve sometimes the target. but when it is only for an hour l manage that some how. but when it’s longer don’t always achieve to reach targets. l don’t worry to much their is two of us living together so it helps a bit. have other things to worry about.

Answering a previous comment; I do think it’s a may be a bit of a con, especially Power Move itself!!! 

1. Power Move is difficult to achieve for small to medium users, because we have limited demand that we can easily move out side the 3 hour period. We typically do few washes of dishes and clothes in a week.  Large users should be able to achieve he target, but then they only get a small fixed amount of recompense (as compared with their total charge).
2. Power Move Plus is better, in that everybody should be able to get a reasonable percentage of their charge back, but I’m not sure that OVO are passing on much of the savings they actually get from the National Grid.  They say they are paying between £3 and £6 per unit saved; we are (only) getting between £1 and £3.
3. Doing the things I do for a Power Move Plus event would become tedious if I had to them every weekday, and some of them only work for an hour, or so.

I’d like somebody from OVO to come clean about how much they are actually get back from the Grid for our efforts.  I don’t mind making some effort for the good of the planet and for the countries power supply, especially if I get a small recompense for doing so, but I would resent it. if OVO were making more money out of it than me!!  Please !come clean OVO!!!

    Rgds,

           Steve

I don't work for OVO, I am just a customer like you.

For the first set of test events including today, suppliers are paid a fixed £3 per kWh and OVO are passing on all of that. Everyone gets the same.

There have been two live events. Here suppliers put in bids. For the first live event OVO only bid £1 per kWh. For the second live event OVO bid £3 per kWh. Again OVO passed on all that.

OVO haven't taken a cut on any event so far.

For the two live events other suppliers and 3rd parties like Hugo and Uswitch bid more than OVO, particularly in that first live event.

Hopefully OVO will be better at estimating what to bid in future events. Bid too high and you run the risk of not being accepted.

All the prices for all suppliers and 3rd parties  for every live and test event are in the public domain from the National Grid ESO.

Here is what ovo was paid for every event from the National Grid ESO

It is in £ per MWh rather than £ per KWh

Obviously you've found something on Google that I didn’t!!  I thought I was pretty good with it, but you’re better.   What you found is quite reassuring; pity OVO didn’t tell us about the bidding system!!!   But, what about the Power Move recompense???

The Demand Flexibility bidding is described on the National Grid ESO website for anyone interested. OVO provided a link to the National Grid  ESO website, I didn't use Google. The link is on the Power Move Plus Web page . It is the very first link on the page.

https://www.ovoenergy.com/power-move-plus

It is up to companies how they pass on savings. For example British Gas have been paying a minimum of £1 per event irrespective of how much you save, some suppliers take a cut, etc.

You just need to research and find the best offer for your individual circumstances, including 3rd parties like Loop, Hugo, Uswitch etc.

Power Move is different. This is an OVO only scheme, although if you look at other suppliers they are running a variety of their own schemes as well. Again you need to research and find the best one for you if you want to go to the bother of switching suppliers.

@Jeffusis talking about Power Move PLUS, which is part of the national scheme run by the National Grid, each ‘event’ is at short notice, only for a short period on a set day, and has targets set in kWh not percentages.

Power Move is an OVO scheme, and as far as I know they don’t recieve outside funding for it.
Power Move is an all month, weekday, scheme with a percentage target. (or 3 target ranges starting in January).

On the percentage side, I’ve done some testing which others might find interesting.

The big reductions that most people can make to meet the percentage targets are not cooking with electricity, and not using electric kettles, between 4 and 7 on weekdays.

Not using washing machines, vaccum cleaners, power tools, etc, in those hours is no hardship.
Turning off low wattage appliances such as central heating pumps, low energy lighting, even modern TVs and computers isn’t going to make a big difference. So turning those off should only be considered if you are very marginal on meeting the percentage target.

What difference does all that actually make percentage wise though?
I’ve compared it on several occasions.

To start with I myself am a low electricity user, I typically use less than 6kWh a day.

Ignoring Power Move and cooking, and boiling kettles as I like between 4-7 my daily electricity use during those hours is between 17.5% and 25% of daily usage.

Sticking to Power Move with no cooking or kettle use between 4-7 that drops to 3.5% - 6%.

So somewhere in between is a good compromise for me.

I will boil the odd kettle between 4-7 if I want to. (Although like others I usually fill a flask just before 4pm sometimes I forget or am out).
I will fully cook things earlier and then use the microwave to reheat them between 4-7.
I also batch cook things and freeze them to microwave later - defrost in the fridge or on the counter, that isn’t using any extra electricity to defrost them, - don’t use the microwave between 4-7 to defrost them or microwave from frozen.
And occasionally, I will cook a full meal between 4-7. The usage is averaged out over the full month so the odd 20% day is compensated for by the many more 5% days,

Doing the above generally keeps me within 6.5% and 10% each day, with the odd higher day, and so within the 13.5% overall target for the month. (I reckon I’m currently standing at 10.98% for December)

With the new targets from January 1st then I should still comfortably meet the 13% target for £6, but may have to be a bit more careful to ensure that I stay under 11.5% for the £15.

Yes it’s all there on the National Grid site!!  But, it’s a hell of a read!!!   On my initial investigation I found that the Grid were paying between £3 and £6, and OVO then offered me £1 for one event!!!   What was I to think???   If OVO are actually paying all they get from the Grid for DFS/Power Move Plus, then I am NOW reasonably happy.

Still would be interested to see the finances for Power Move!!!