Households will be encouraged to increase their use of record UK renewable energy this summer to help balance the electricity grid and reduce bills. Under the new plans, people could be prompted to use dishwashers and washing machines or charge their electric vehicles during periods when wind and solar power output exceeds the grid's needs, according to The Guardian.
The measure will be implemented with the help of energy suppliers, who could offer electricity at greatly reduced prices or even for free in certain intervals, when the energy system operator anticipates a surplus of energy.
Many suppliers already offer more than two million households lower rates for off-peak consumption, but it will be the first time the system operator will use this mechanism to balance the network.
The National Energy System Operator (Neso) hopes that by issuing market notices encouraging consumers to increase their consumption, it will be able to avoid significant payments for shutting down wind and solar farms when demand is low, costs that are ultimately borne by consumers through bills.
The UK already set a double record for solar output earlier this month after sunny spring weather saw new highs hit for two consecutive days.
The record for solar power output was confirmed less than two weeks after UK wind farms also hit a peak, pushing gas-fired power output to its lowest level in two years.
The abundance of low-carbon energy means that on a sunny and windy summer weekend, parts of the electricity system could be overwhelmed by renewable generation, increasing the risk of an unplanned outage due to gridlock.
In the future, grid upgrades are expected to facilitate the transport of renewable energy produced away from large consumption centers to areas of high demand, without the need for production capping payments.
