Octopus Energy is offering customers free electricity every weekend until the end of October. Households must be part of the energy giant's Octoplus rewards scheme to earn an hour at no charge under the firm's Weekend Happy Hours giveaway.
The offer follows what Octopus described as an "overwhelming" response to its Eclipse Power Down session last week. That event invited customers to cut electricity use on Wednesday, August 12, between 6pm and 8pm during the solar eclipse.
Nearly a Million Customers Took Part in Eclipse Event
Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Customer Officer at Octopus Energy, said: "Nearly a million Octopus customers switched off, enjoyed the skies and earned free electricity during the eclipse."
She added: "We’re keeping good times flowing with the launch of Weekend Happy Hours - till the end of October, use less for two hours during the week and get one whole hour of power free every weekend."
How the Weekend Happy Hours Scheme Works
Octopus Energy's Weekend Happy Hours scheme is only for eligible customers who use less power during two one-hour sessions from Monday to Friday. To take part, customers need to pay by Direct Debit or prepay; have a working electricity smart meter; be an Octoplus member and be signed up to Saving Sessions, which rewards Octoplus members for helping to balance the grid.
Customers will be able to choose from a selection of one hour slots at the weekend for their "Happy Hour". Or they can choose to save their free electricity hours and use them at a later date, but not after October 31 when the scheme ends.
Expert Forecasts Warn of Further Bill Rises
News of the offer comes as experts at Cornwall Insight predict more energy bills misery ahead for the winter months. Its latest forecast warns households of a further 4% rise when the next quarterly energy price cap for October to December is announced on Wednesday, August 26.
An Octopus Energy spokesperson said: "Taking part is easy. Customers just need to use less power during the sessions by simply shifting everyday jobs – such as running the washing machine, putting the dishwasher on or charging the car – to another time."
"In return, they will get one hour of free electricity at the weekend as a reward, allowing households to benefit from doing their bit to reduce the pressure on the grid during peak times."
Octopus said its Eclipse Power Down saw a "record-breaking" 794,000 customers take part. The solar eclipse last Wednesday knocked out 4% - or around 1GW - of Britain’s solar generation during the evening peak, according to Octopus Energy. It said this is equivalent to a large power station.
