Why reducing non-essential electricity usage for short periods is the way to go amid both climate change and the cost-of-living crisis
“It’s important for people to learn about energy and understand – households and businesses alike – that not all electricity is equal or required all the time, rather than viewing this crisis as a temporary issue that will soon go away. There’s such a thing as non-critical energy, and if gone unnoticed, it can take a serious toll on pockets and the environment. If tackled, it can benefit everyone.
Naturally, the key is to keep your energy consumption limited to what you really need, and this can be achieved through a scheme called demand side response (DSR). In short, the programme rewards consumers who change the times they use energy to smooth out peaks in electricity demand. For example, if you consume less energy in your home or business from 4PM to 9PM, you can participate in the scheme and receive financial compensation for helping out overwhelmed electricity networks.
In the end, the cheapest, most sustainable kilowatt is the one you don’t use in the first place, and this programme enables you to reduce your overall energy consumption, tackling bills and CO2 emissions.
The best part is that everyone gets rewarded under the scheme – your property, the environment and the country’s electricity networks. With the right DSR partner, the kilowatts your property saves can be then contributed to help balance grids during times of peak consumer demand, which gets you financially rewarded. Ultimately, identifying and reducing your property’s non-essential electricity usage for short periods of time is the way to go amid both climate change and the cost-of-living crisis.