Skip to main content
Newcomer
PLUM44
Newcomer
December 20, 2022

Struggling to achieve Power Move target!

Updated on 15/01/26 by Abby_OVO

 

As a single pensioner I have never used appliances during peak time, apart from the electric oven a few days a week to cook a meal. The only way I could reduce usage is to eat before 4pm, too early, or after 7 pm, too late! Some meals I can cook on gas hob or in microwave but that doesn’t reduce usage enough. Any suggestions anyone?

 


Check out our website for the latest challenge information:

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

Join Power Move today
 

Log in to Beyond to get started. Don’t have the app? Download it on iOS or Android to unlock exclusive rewards for free.
 

Check our FAQs to find out more. Power Move terms also apply.

    163 replies

    Show previous replies
    Rank 4
    Sleepysusie
    Rank 4
    December 4, 2023

    Also, though I actually got an email telling me I’d been credited £15 in September and sitting in the dark for an hour the other week credited £2.00, nowhere on my OVO account do I see these credits. 

    juliamc
    Rank 20
    juliamc
    Rank 20
    December 4, 2023

    It’s not a scheme to save money, it’s a scheme to help lower the carbon emission of electricity generation.

      Emmanuelle_OVO
      Retired Moderator
      Emmanuelle_OVO
      Retired Moderator
      December 5, 2023

      Hey @Amanda Jones,

       

      If you’re referring to Power Move Plus, the following information should help explain:

       

      I was out of the country for two weeks so all that was on was fridge freezer didn’t achieve my target! *edited by moderator*

       

      How do you calculate my personal target?

       

      We calculate your personal target using ESO’s methodology. For more information see DFS Participation Guidance Document. 

      For working days – Your personal target is calculated using the half hourly electricity usage data taken from your smart meter over the last 10 working days (Mon - Fri excluding bank holidays) before an event. Days where there’s been a Power Move Plus event will not count towards the target. You must have at least 5 working days worth of data for a target to be calculated.

      For non-working days (Saturday, Sunday & bank holidays) – Your personal target is calculated using the half hourly electricity usage data taken from your smart meter over the last 4 non-working days. Days where there’s been a Power Move Plus event will not count towards the target. You must have at least 4 non-working days worth of data for a target to be calculated.

      This means, as your usage changes over the course of winter, so does your personal target.

       

      Hey @Syd,

       

      You can find out more by heading over to our FAQ page this will explain in detail, what the scheme is and how it benefits the environment,

       

      Is Power Move Plus part of the ESO's Demand Flexibility Service (DFS)?

       

      The Electricity Systems Operator (ESO) is currently running a Demand Flexibility Service (DFS). This is in collaboration with energy suppliers to help customers reduce their bills this winter and reduce demand on the grid at peak times.

      Power Move Plus encompasses the ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service with notifications you’ll receive being triggered by ESO. 

      For more information on the ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service and how it links with Power Move Plus please see here.

       

      Why is it better for the environment to not use electricity during peak times?

       

      Generating renewable energy releases less carbon into the atmosphere than burning fossil fuels. But did you know that, even though you’re on a greener energy plan, more or less carbon is released depending on what time you use the energy?

      Here’s how:

      When it’s windy or sunny, renewable power is pumped into the energy grid and used in homes across the UK. But if we need more energy than the wind or sun can supply, we have to top up with fossil fuel power.

      At times, lots of energy is being used by a lot of people at the same time. During those peak times or days, it's more likely we'll need to top up the system with fossil fuel energy, and it’s expensive to turn on fossil fuel generators. So it’s kinder to the planet to shift our non-essential energy use away from times of high demand, even if we’re on a green energy plan. This helps the country avoid having to top up with fossil fuels.

       

      Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
      Nukecad
      Super User
      NukecadSuper User
      Super User
      December 5, 2023

       

       I've just checked my Ovo account using  both Firefox and MS Edge. On the homepage menu in neither browser do I find a "Path to Zero" link though I do recall it being there previously. It's weird that it's available to some but not to others.

      I’ve done a bit of testing and believe I’ve found why that’s happening.

      It gets technical but that is to do with how those particular sections of the website are coded.
      Modern browsers such as Edge Chromium and Firefox see that type of coding as a privacy/security risk and so block it.

      Firefox does now usually block “Path to Zero” by default. (they tightened the protections a couple of versions ago)
      To stop Firefox doing that you can go into Firefox Settings>Privacy & Security>Manage exceptions and make the OVO account Homepage an Exception to the blocking.
      You may/will also have to do similar in any adblocking and anti-tracking extensions you may be running and make it an exception in those too.

      Edge doesn’t usually block “Path to Zero” by default. (Yet).
      If you are not seeing “Path to Zero” in Edge then it wil probably be because you have Tracking Protection set to ‘Strict’ - that will then block it just as Firefox does.
      If you want to leave it at ‘Strict’ then go into the Edge Settings>Privacy etc.> Exceptions and make the OVO account Homepage an Exception to the blocking.
      Alternatively just change the Tracking Protection from ‘Strict’ to’ Balanced’.
      Again you may/will also have to do similar in any adblocking and anti-tracking extensions you may be running and make the OVO account Home page an exception in those too.

      PS. I’m not sure about the settings in Google Chrome itself, but suspect that they will be the same as with Edge.
      (I don’t have Chrome on my machines so can’t test it).

      I said, Hey - Watts going on.
        Newcomer
        Mike K
        Newcomer
        December 5, 2023

        @Nukecad

        Thank you for your comprehensive explanation. In my view you've gone way above and beyond what I could have reasonably anticipated.

        I have had the Ghostery extension installed for some years now for ad blocking and tracking protection. I think that I've understood how to implement your proposed remedy but will not be doing so simply because the original problem is not one that I have. I only joined this thread in an attempt to assist another poster. Nonetheless, you have my gratitude.

          Newcomer
          pauly113
          Newcomer
          December 13, 2023

          I find this Power Move Challenge laughable and I’m no longer bothering with it. Look at what’s going on around the world, China and USA burning coal like there’s no tomorrow. Wars raging….polluting everything, yet I’m expected to sit in the dark, not cook during the 3 hours or use heating etc to save pennies? I find it hilarious that people are watching their smart meters like hawks, drawing up graphs and spreadsheets. I’m 65 and I’m certainly not depriving myself for what amounts to nothing. 

          Yes its laughable. 24p for sitting in the dark for an hour. You are so right

          The monthly target is also so low, as to be unattainable unless you close down the house and go on holiday for a month. Should be a realistic 20pc

          Closing down your house and going on holiday won't help you achieve the target as you need to use more electricity out of the 3hr slot to reach the target. The challenge is not about reducing your usage but moving it away from peak times.

          What would incentivise me to try and hit the target would be if they raised the target to a realistic 20pc. What's the point of a target that's unachievable?

          The whole scheme needs reassessment 

            Peter E
            Super User
            Peter ESuper User
            Super User
            December 13, 2023

            This is not an independent scheme run by Ovo whereby they can change the target to whatever they like. It is defined by the ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service. They set the target and they set the reward. All Ovo does is sign up to the DFS so that their customers can benefit from the rewards if they meet the DFS’s criteria.

             

            Plenty of good examples and tips have been given here on how to do this if you have a pattern of useage that is flexible in the way that the DFS requires. Perhaps re-reading some of the success stories on here will help you adapt your usage. If not you have lost nothing. If you don't think it’s worth the effort then you don't have to change anything.

            Reducing my yearly fossil fuel usage with an EV (-900 litres petrol saving about £950/year), A2AHP (-8,700 kWh gas, cost neutral) and Timed Immersion heater (-1,500 kWh gas, £20/year more expensive but reducing as the gas price goes up)
            Newcomer
            pauly113
            Newcomer
            December 14, 2023

            This is not an independent scheme run by Ovo whereby they can change the target to whatever they like. It is defined by the ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service. They set the target and they set the reward. All Ovo does is sign up to the DFS so that their customers can benefit from the rewards if they meet the DFS’s criteria.

             

            Plenty of good examples and tips have been given here on how to do this if you have a pattern of useage that is flexible in the way that the DFS requires. Perhaps re-reading some of the success stories on here will help you adapt your usage. If not you have lost nothing. If you don't think it’s worth the effort then you don't have to change anything.

            In which case, feedback needs to be sent to DFS that their parsimonious scheme is not incentivising customers, because its criteria are unachievable.

            We have shifted all cooking, washing, ironing etc to outside the 4-7pm and still can't hit target

            In short, the 13.5% is too low and the scheme is a con

            Jeffus
            Rank 20
            Jeffus
            Rank 20
            December 14, 2023

            This is not an independent scheme run by Ovo whereby they can change the target to whatever they like. It is defined by the ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service. They set the target and they set the reward. All Ovo does is sign up to the DFS so that their customers can benefit from the rewards if they meet the DFS’s criteria.

             

            Plenty of good examples and tips have been given here on how to do this if you have a pattern of useage that is flexible in the way that the DFS requires. Perhaps re-reading some of the success stories on here will help you adapt your usage. If not you have lost nothing. If you don't think it’s worth the effort then you don't have to change anything.

            In which case, feedback needs to be sent to DFS that their parsimonious scheme is not incentivising customers, because its criteria are unachievable.

            We have shifted all cooking, washing, ironing etc to outside the 4-7pm and still can't hit target

            In short, the 13.5% is too low and the scheme is a con

            Power Move is an OVO scheme 

            Power Move Plus is a National Grid ESO scheme 

            You are talking about Power Move which is an OVO scheme.

              Rank 4
              Sleepysusie
              Rank 4
              December 14, 2023

              This is tricky. The whole premise can be really hard - after all, we’re being asked to move usage not actually cut down - but you need to look at every single thing you use that’s electrical & consider if you can stop using them in the 4-7 slot, apart from things like the fridge & freezer, WiFi & other constantly on, background stuff. 
              I think one thing that needs to be considered is whether you previously used those high usage things like the tumble dryer in the 4-7pm time slot. If you didn’t before, then you’re not going to change your percentage much. Do you normally use the washing machine & tumble dryer in the 4-7 slot?
              We’re talking about 3 hours out of 24, & those 3 hours are when we normally come home, cook dinner, put the tv & heating on, make cups of tea, put dishwasher on, have a shower etc - all high usage activities. Anything that heats stuff up is high usage, so kettle, oven, the shower etc need to be moved out of the 4-7 slot. The heating & hot water also. Some tvs kick out a load of heat & are very thirsty for electricity. 
              Looking at the maths, (for simplicity) if I used a steady 1kW for each hour of the day the 3 hour slot would be 12.5%. 3/24x100= 12.5%.
              If I reduced my usage to just 1 kW for the whole of the 4-7 slot by moving the other 2kW to another time slot it would be 1/24x100= 4.5%

              So in order to succeed in this challenge everything electrical needs to be considered & anything movable should be moved, which means changing the heating & hot water timers so the house is warmed by 4 & put back on again at 7 if needed,  cooking before or after 4-7 (or maybe batch cook at the weekend & freeze it). Watch tv programmes on catch up on a laptop. Charge your phones & laptop after 7pm. Make flasks of hot drinks for the evening so the kettle isn’t used. Have a shower after 7 if you have one in the evening. Put the dishwasher on after 7.
              My usage last month for the 4-7 time slot was 7.5%, & that was achieved by doing all the above (& I’m a very low user normally so it’s quite hard to reduce/ move). 
              This might all be stuff you’re already doing, in which case I’d go round every room & look at what’s plugged in & pull out anything not needed, then look at what keeps your house ticking over & see if it can be moved to another time slot. But definitely move those high-usage items out of the 4-7 slot. 

               

               

              Is there a Degree awarded for all that faffing just to save pennies?

              Show more replies
              Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

              OVO Energy Ltd, Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ, (Company no. 06890795) registered in England and Wales.

              OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ.

              OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd