equiwatt will use half-hourly readings from your smart meter to calculate how much energy and CO2 you have reduced in comparison to your normal or expected usage during a powerDOWN event and award you points accordingly.
How are my energy savings calculated?
Compatible smart meters, send your home's electricity readings to us every 30 minutes. We use these half-hourly readings to calculate how much energy you use on average at certain times of day in order to create a forecast of your typical usage for that period.
To put it another way, your forecast is the amount of electricity you are likely or expected to use at the time of a powerDOWN event taking place.
For example, if on average your home uses 758.6 Wh between 19:00 - 20:00 on a Tuesday evening, then your forecast for a powerDOWN event being run at the same time on a Tuesday would be 758.6 Wh as this is what you would be expected to use based on your previous usage in days leading up to the event.
PLEASE NOTE: Weekends, bank holidays and days when other powerDOWN events have taken place are excluded from our calculations of your forecast for events.
When you take part in an event, you will be awarded points based on how much your whole household reduces its energy usage during a powerDOWN event in comparison to your forecast. I.e. Your actual usage during the event will be compared to your predicted usage (or forecast).
If you successfully beat your forecast by using less electricity than predicted, you will be awarded points based on how much energy and CO2 you have helped to shift. The more energy you have reduced in relation to your forecast, the more points you will earn.
How many points will I earn?
Points are awarded per kilowatt hour for all the electricity you don't use compared to normal or to put it another way how much energy is reduced in comparison to your forecast. The more electricity shifted, the more points you will earn.