Take part in the National Grid Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) with equiwatt

Notifications for National Grid DFS equivents will be sent via the app as normal but will be sent in advance. All other equivents will continue to be notified as they happen.

No. Just as with other equivents, you can take part in as many or as few DFS events as you like.

If you do not wish to participate, simply opt out in the app when you receive a notification of an upcoming DFS equivent.

However, if you want to earn the additional points available for reducing your energy usage during DFS equivents then you will need to confirm your participation in the app before each event, so we know that you want to take part.

Just as with other equivents, National Grid DFS equivents could happen at any time of day.

However, the timing of the events will be based on when the grid needs help.

Just like other equivents, this is typicaly during the busiest or 'peak' times of day when the grid needs to generate more power to meet everyone's needs. For example, between 4-7 pm.

The equiwatt community have been pioneering peak time energy saving for more than 3 years and 300+ equivents. Our app is the easiest way to save energy all year round, track your CO2 impact and automate appliance or EV charging participation.

Yes. You will need a working electric smart meter and half-hourly readings enabled to take part so we can verify how much energy you’ve managed to save.

When an equivent starts, you will receive a notification:

1) Switch off running electric appliances and avoid turning high-usage appliances on.

2) Check your forecast to make sure you know what you have to beat and that you’re going below it. TIP: Check your In-Home Display (IHD) unit to make sure that you are going below your forecast.

3) Go to the equiwatt app and log your manual participation.

Please note: You will only earn points if you indicate your participation in the app. See how to do that here.

Although we can get energy readings from compatible smart plugs and electric vehicles, only smart meter data is currently accepted by the National Grid scheme.

Additionally, since we will be giving notice of the event in advance for National Grid DFS equivents, energy savings will be calculated based on your forecast and what you are likely to consume, rather than what you were actually using just before the event. This also helps to protect us and the grid from the system being gamed (turning on something right before the event to earn points is not helping the grid much!)

You can still earn points from participating in equivents but they will not include the additional points from the National Grid DFS scheme.

No! As long as you have a connected smart meter and half-hourly readings enabled you can take part.

Please note: Your in-home display (IHD) is different to your smart meter. Your IHD is the little screen that sits on a shelf in your house and displays your energy usage info.

If an external issue means that we are unable to retrieve readings from your smart meter during a National Grid DFS equivent that you have opted into, we won't know how much you have saved.

If that happens we will award you the average number of points that other users have received for that equivent.

If you have a compatible smart meter connected to the equiwatt app and half-hourly data available, you can take part and earn points by participating in equivents run as part of the National Grid’s DFS scheme.

Unfortunately, for equivents aligned with the National grid's winter DFS scheme, we won't be able to award points for connected smart devices (e.g. smart plugs, electric vehicles & smart chargers) that aren't also supported by a smart meter with half-hourly readings enabled.

However, if you opt-in to participate in a DFS event, we will switch off your connected smart devices for you as we always do, you just need to make sure you beat your forecast to get points for these ones!

When National Grid DFS equivents happen, you will need to beat your household-wide energy use forecast to earn double or even triple points depending on the reduction!

This is measured via your smart meter. Find out how this works.

The DFS will not only help avoid coal power use during the winter months but it is also a big step in learning more about how you at home can do your bit to help balance the grid, reduce CO2 emissions and achieve net zero ambitions.

National Grid is running the DFS from November 2022 until March 2023.

However, equiwatt users can earn points and rewards beyond the National Grid DFS scheme as we run equivents every week all throughout the year!

Your supplier may invite you to take part in their own scheme and you can choose whether to take part with them or with equiwatt.

equiwatt is independent of any suppliers so if you have not been invited or joined your supplier scheme and have a smart meter with half-hourly readings then you can take part with us.

If you are not sure if your smart meter is compatible or need help enabling half-hourly readings, send us an email at hello@equiwatt.com and we will see if we can assist you.

You can only access the additional National Grid DFS rewards through either your supplier OR equiwatt.

If you are signed up via your supplier, you can continue to take part in all equivents, but you will not earn the additional points available during National Grid DFS equivents.