The UK will experience its fullest solar eclipse in nearly three decades on Wednesday, August 12, and Octopus Energy is urging people to turn off their devices and head outside for the event with an Eclipse Power Down and photo competition with a grand prize worth £12,000.
Eclipse timing and grid pressure
The eclipse will take place between 6pm and 8pm, briefly interrupting solar power capabilities during the darkest parts. This coincides with the time of day when electricity usage across the country usually spikes. To relieve pressure on the grid, Octopus Energy is providing eligible customers with a free hour of power on Sunday in return for using less electricity during the eclipse.
Eligibility and how to participate
To be eligible, customers must be part of Octopus's reward programme, Octoplus, and be signed up to Octopus's Saving Sessions. Customers will also need to opt in to the Eclipse Power Down session on their online dashboard.
Households will need to use less electricity than they usually do during at least half an hour of the Power Down. The energy firm will inform households on Saturday, August 15, if they were successful and what time their free hour of power will be on Sunday. More information and FAQs can be found on Octopus Energy's website.
Suggested actions and photo competition
To help people take part in the power down, Octopus Energy suggested: “Simply shift everyday jobs outside the 6-8pm window – run the washing machine earlier, or wait until later to use the dishwasher or fire up the games console.”
Additionally, Octopus Energy customers who head outdoors for the event can submit a photo of what they got up to and be entered into a competition where they could win free solar panels and installation or £12,000 in cash. However, the energy firm warned: “The sun is super powerful so please don't look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection or safe eclipse glasses. Keep those peepers safe while you power down!”
The competition is running across Instagram, Facebook, X or Bluesky. Participants will need to tag @OctopusEnergy and include the hashtag #OctoEclipse in the post caption. Your social media profile must be set to ‘public’ during the competition period to be entered. Entries are also limited to one per person across all platforms, with duplicate entries being discounted. Other entry details can be found on the Octopus Energy website.
