BRITONS TO GET FREE OR CHEAPER ELECTRICITY – Energy companies will do it during periods of excess supply like sunny weekends
British households are about to get a high-voltage upgrade to their energy bills as the National Energy System Operator (NESO) officially expands its Demand Flexibility Scheme. Starting this week, a new “use-it-to-save-it” model—recently green-lit by regulator Ofgem—will reward customers with free or heavily discounted electricity during periods of excess supply.
The policy shift follows 2025, which officially went down as the UK’s sunniest year on record and a watershed moment for the rooftop revolution. With solar generation skyrocketing by nearly a third over 2024 levels and 250,000 new small-scale installations joining the grid, the summer months now present a “surplus” problem.
By incentivizing people to fire up the washing machine, run the dishwasher, or top off their electric vehicles when the sun is high and industrial demand is low, NESO aims to prevent clean, zero-carbon energy from being wasted while keeping the national grid perfectly balanced.
Households simply need a smart meter and a participating energy supplier. The mechanics are handled behind the scenes; NESO monitors the weather and grid load, then alerts providers when a window of excess supply is imminent—typically during weekends or Bank Holidays
