Nonsensical target for Power Move Plus

Yes, you're right. As all of us here seem to be low users anyway, we'll never make much difference to capacity energy and, quite rightly, it is the high energy users who should be targeted but it is a bit of a slap in the face that we're already doing what we can but won't get rewarded for it while those who will opt in for an hour every so often stand to get money off their bill. (Yes, I know it's the environment that should be motivating me but I like the odd tenner here and there just like everyone else does 😄).

Ah, but the point is that it’s an encouragment to act for the good rather than a reward for doing it anyway.

As with many things you don’t need to encourage those who are doing it anyway,

Your reward is knowing that you are doing good without having to be ‘bribed’ to do so.

@Gillarms  a bit like power move being 3hrs every week day to be below a target to get £15 off now, yet a higher user dropping 5kw below their target for 1 hr getting same remuneration if they cared to do it. Bet they would reduce their usage if they were being charged more but then there are bound to be some ethics around that as well. A % target works better for everyone.

Here is an example of mine from last year via Hugo

There were a variety of different length events and a variety of different £ per kWh. Hence some of the large numbers for some events.

@Ria I’m with octopus on their Cosy tariff for heat pump owners. It has two three hour cheap rate periods and one three hour peak rate period - that’s 4pm to 7pm and it is indeed v expensive - 45p p kWh !! Definitely an incentive to not use electricity for that period.

I’m fairly sure that we’re misunderstanding these ambiguous instructions. The FAQs say:
 

This is the same sort of language as in the Power Move instructions. It became clear that there is no requirement to ‘reduce’ or ‘shift’ or ‘cut back’ usage: the reward is calculated solely on the difference between measured usage and the target. The target is derived from previous usage in the same period; in my case, it happened to be the same as the highest value for the target period since the beginning of November.

If like me you’ve been using as little as possible in the Power Move period, you may have been using less than half of the PMP target on some days. In that case, you could use twice as much during tomorrow’s challenge and still earn a reward. No cut back required. 

I’ve also got the 0.1kwh target. Ridiculous. 
 

I’ll be looking to increase my peak hour consumption over the coming weeks, as that’s what I’m being incentivised to do. It’s the only way I can land myself a more realistic target in the future. 

I have also been given the 0.1kwh target 🤔

I clicked my TV on for an hour earlier today just so that I could use less between 4pm and 7pm otherwise I wouldn't have been using anything today as I was out 4pm - 10pm 😆

If you are already a low user it’s going to be a challenge to be below your target, unless you want to sit in the dark - but that’s the point - to incentivise people to reduce their consumption during the Power Move Plus event - 

If my memory is correct the target is based on your average consumption during the event time period previous 10 weekday days - for example my average consumption for the last 10 weekdays during the 5pm to 6pm period is 0.199 KwH - and I have been given a target of 0.2 KwH for the event today - so to consume less than my target I just need to use less than my average - which I think is reasonable .

It’s not a way to make a lot of money - unless you are normally cooking your dinner , doing a load of washing and heating the house via electricity normally during this time period - 

As others have mentioned the co-existing Power Move scheme means that many people have already shifted their consumption outside the 4-7 pm period - meaning that their average use in the Power move plus time period will already  be low and therefore their target will always be low - to get below the target requires some sacrifices.

I think the only long term way  to shift consumption patterns would be to have differential pricing so it’s cheaper in the non-crucial times of the day - If you know it’s going to cost twice as much to do the washing  between 5 and 7 pm then people will start to think about doing it earlier or later.