This page is dedicated to the participants of our bigger, better Power Payback service!
You can read all about the service in more detail, plus chat to other participants and give feedback – we'd love to hear from you!
Why are we launching this service?
We’re participating in the NGESO (National Grid) DFS (Demand Flexibility Service) service. This means we’ll be helping you use energy at the best possible times.
During Power Payback you’ll be asked to reduce your electricity usage during a specific time frame, and we’ll pass on the savings to you. Reduce, save, and earn – it’s a win-win!
How does Power Payback work?
- Power Payback will start 30 October 2023
- To participate in a Power Payback event, you’ll be asked to opt-in prior to the event and to reduce your electricity usage during a specific time frame. We’ll let you know exactly what you need to do via SMS
- We’ll give you suggestions on ways you could reduce your energy usage
- If you successfully reduce your electricity usage, we’ll credit your meter. The more you reduce your usage, the more you can earn
- We’ll confirm the result of the event and if you’ve earned £££s
Why would I not be eligible for Power Payback?
The most common reasons to be rejected would be:
- We couldn’t match the Customer ID you provided in our sign-up form with the Customer ID in our records or you didn’t provide a valid UK mobile number.
- You’re not eligible to participate due to your meter type or your payment method.
- We’re having communication issues with your meter.
- You’ve signed up to a similar scheme with another app or energy provider that’s a registered DFS provider.
What will I be asked to do?
We’ll ask you to opt in a Power Payback event when this is available. Once you opt in, you will need to reduce your usage in a time window mentioned on the opt-in message. We’ll give you tips on how to do this, and you’ll get SMS messages with all the information you’ll need. We’ll send you:
- An opt-in SMS up to 24 hours before your timeframe to reduce your electricity usage (we’ll also include a suggestion on how you might do this)
- A reminder of your timeframe 1 hour before it starts
- An SMS that lets you know when the timeframe is over
- A request to give some feedback – we’d love to hear what you think!
How do the payments work?
The money you earn is paid by the National Grid and we pass this on to you – it’s a reward for reducing usage during busy times. When demand is high, they want to encourage everyone to use a bit less power. This is because they don’t have to pay for expensive fossil fuel generators to turn on to meet the high demand.
You’ll get paid for reducing your usage while the Power Payback service is running. You’ll need to do this at specified times.
We’ll send anything you earn directly to your meter. You’ll get an SMS which confirms how much this is.
The SMS confirms that I was successful, but I see no credit on the meter?
It will take a few days for us to send whatever you’ve earned, so make sure to wait at least 72 hours for your credit to appear. If you still can’t see it - please chat to a Customer Service Advisor via our Live Chat (please see the icon on the bottom right-hand side of the Utilita Website Homepage) - or please contact our Customer Service Team on 0330 3337 442 Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturday, 8am to 5pm and we’ll sort this for you.
How will I get paid?
We’ll send anything you earn directly to your electricity meter. Want to move it to your gas? No problem, you can do this using Transfer Credit in My Utilita – easy.
We’ll pay you for reducing your usage while the Power Payback service is running. You’ll need to do this at specified times. You can see how we calculate your payment within this FAQ article.
The money you earn is paid by the ESO – it’s a reward for reducing usage during busy times. When demand is high, they want to encourage everyone to use a bit less power.
Can I see the results of Power Payback?
Of course you can! We’ll be updating this page with all the insights we get from the service. You can also interact with the Utilita team as well as other service participants. Make sure you get involved, ask questions, and submit any queries that you have. It all helps us build better services in the future.
How are the payments calculated?
How much you earn is all about how much you reduce your electricity usage compared to what’s typical for your household. We look at your historic usage data, as recorded by your smart meter, then we compare this to what your usage was during the specific time frames we set out in the service.
We then take the reduction amount and multiply it by the unit rate (p/kWh) provided during each event to work out how much credit to give you.
How can I reduce my usage during a Power Payback event?
Apart from not using your large appliances during the event window there are other ways to reduce your electricity usage. Take a look at our energy saving tips.
Is my personal or energy data shared with third parties?
Utilita will share your MPAN and Usage information with the National Grid as part of this service and in accordance with the Terms & Conditions of the service offering. For more information on how Utilita Energy process your personal data please see our Privacy Information Notice.
I know someone who has signed up for Power Payback – can I sign up too?
On the 30 October all Utilita prepay customers with an SMETS1 electricity smart meter will be able to participate in the new Power Payback service. All eligible customers will be contacted via email to sign-up to the service prior to the date above.
Utilita will continue to improve the service and making it available to more customers, including other meter types, and our credit customers.
Please make sure your details are up-to-date. The easiest way to update your details is in the My Utilita app, or you can visit www.utilita.co.uk/help/my-utilita for more information.
What happens if I become ineligible during the service?
All participants need to meet the below eligibility criteria throughout the service.
- Be a domestic customer on Utilita supply for at least 15 days.
- Have an electric SMETS1 meter
- Agree to allow data collection of half hour readings.
- Be a Pay As You Go customer
- Have a valid mobile number
What happens if my smart meter stops communicating during a Power Payback event?
We understand that sometimes technical issues can happen that are beyond your control.
If we can’t get the information we need from your smart meter during a Power Payback event, we’ll reward you with an average payment amount.
If we don’t get readings from your smart meter for 7 days, unfortunately you’ll no longer be eligible for the service.
How do I leave Power Payback service?
You can opt out of the service by chatting to a Customer Service Advisor via our Live Chat (please see the icon on the bottom right-hand side of the Utilita Website Homepage) - or please contact our Customer Service Team on 0330 3337 442 Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturday, 8am to 5pm and we’ll sort this for you.
What happens if I move home?
In case you move house, your account won’t meet the eligibility criteria for the service anymore and will be removed. You will need to re-register to the service at least 15 days after moving to the new address, provided you are still supplied by Utilita.
You can let us know about your move using our online forms.
You can find all T&C's here - please make sure you read them.
You can read all about the service in more detail, plus chat to other participants and give feedback – we'd love to hear from you!
Why are we launching this service?
We’re participating in the NGESO (National Grid) DFS (Demand Flexibility Service) service. This means we’ll be helping you use energy at the best possible times.
During Power Payback you’ll be asked to reduce your electricity usage during a specific time frame, and we’ll pass on the savings to you. Reduce, save, and earn – it’s a win-win!
How does Power Payback work?
- Power Payback will start 30 October 2023
- To participate in a Power Payback event, you’ll be asked to opt-in prior to the event and to reduce your electricity usage during a specific time frame. We’ll let you know exactly what you need to do via SMS
- We’ll give you suggestions on ways you could reduce your energy usage
- If you successfully reduce your electricity usage, we’ll credit your meter. The more you reduce your usage, the more you can earn
- We’ll confirm the result of the event and if you’ve earned £££s
Why would I not be eligible for Power Payback?
The most common reasons to be rejected would be:
- We couldn’t match the Customer ID you provided in our sign-up form with the Customer ID in our records or you didn’t provide a valid UK mobile number.
- You’re not eligible to participate due to your meter type or your payment method.
- We’re having communication issues with your meter.
- You’ve signed up to a similar scheme with another app or energy provider that’s a registered DFS provider.
What will I be asked to do?
We’ll ask you to opt in a Power Payback event when this is available. Once you opt in, you will need to reduce your usage in a time window mentioned on the opt-in message. We’ll give you tips on how to do this, and you’ll get SMS messages with all the information you’ll need. We’ll send you:
- An opt-in SMS up to 24 hours before your timeframe to reduce your electricity usage (we’ll also include a suggestion on how you might do this)
- A reminder of your timeframe 1 hour before it starts
- An SMS that lets you know when the timeframe is over
- A request to give some feedback – we’d love to hear what you think!
How do the payments work?
The money you earn is paid by the National Grid and we pass this on to you – it’s a reward for reducing usage during busy times. When demand is high, they want to encourage everyone to use a bit less power. This is because they don’t have to pay for expensive fossil fuel generators to turn on to meet the high demand.
You’ll get paid for reducing your usage while the Power Payback service is running. You’ll need to do this at specified times.
We’ll send anything you earn directly to your meter. You’ll get an SMS which confirms how much this is.
The SMS confirms that I was successful, but I see no credit on the meter?
It will take a few days for us to send whatever you’ve earned, so make sure to wait at least 72 hours for your credit to appear. If you still can’t see it - please chat to a Customer Service Advisor via our Live Chat (please see the icon on the bottom right-hand side of the Utilita Website Homepage) - or please contact our Customer Service Team on 0330 3337 442 Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturday, 8am to 5pm and we’ll sort this for you.
How will I get paid?
We’ll send anything you earn directly to your electricity meter. Want to move it to your gas? No problem, you can do this using Transfer Credit in My Utilita – easy.
We’ll pay you for reducing your usage while the Power Payback service is running. You’ll need to do this at specified times. You can see how we calculate your payment within this FAQ article.
The money you earn is paid by the ESO – it’s a reward for reducing usage during busy times. When demand is high, they want to encourage everyone to use a bit less power.
Can I see the results of Power Payback?
Of course you can! We’ll be updating this page with all the insights we get from the service. You can also interact with the Utilita team as well as other service participants. Make sure you get involved, ask questions, and submit any queries that you have. It all helps us build better services in the future.
How are the payments calculated?
How much you earn is all about how much you reduce your electricity usage compared to what’s typical for your household. We look at your historic usage data, as recorded by your smart meter, then we compare this to what your usage was during the specific time frames we set out in the service.
We then take the reduction amount and multiply it by the unit rate (p/kWh) provided during each event to work out how much credit to give you.
How can I reduce my usage during a Power Payback event?
Apart from not using your large appliances during the event window there are other ways to reduce your electricity usage. Take a look at our energy saving tips.
Is my personal or energy data shared with third parties?
Utilita will share your MPAN and Usage information with the National Grid as part of this service and in accordance with the Terms & Conditions of the service offering. For more information on how Utilita Energy process your personal data please see our Privacy Information Notice.
I know someone who has signed up for Power Payback – can I sign up too?
On the 30 October all Utilita prepay customers with an SMETS1 electricity smart meter will be able to participate in the new Power Payback service. All eligible customers will be contacted via email to sign-up to the service prior to the date above.
Utilita will continue to improve the service and making it available to more customers, including other meter types, and our credit customers.
Please make sure your details are up-to-date. The easiest way to update your details is in the My Utilita app, or you can visit www.utilita.co.uk/help/my-utilita for more information.
What happens if I become ineligible during the service?
All participants need to meet the below eligibility criteria throughout the service.
- Be a domestic customer on Utilita supply for at least 15 days.
- Have an electric SMETS1 meter
- Agree to allow data collection of half hour readings.
- Be a Pay As You Go customer
- Have a valid mobile number
What happens if my smart meter stops communicating during a Power Payback event?
We understand that sometimes technical issues can happen that are beyond your control.
If we can’t get the information we need from your smart meter during a Power Payback event, we’ll reward you with an average payment amount.
If we don’t get readings from your smart meter for 7 days, unfortunately you’ll no longer be eligible for the service.
How do I leave Power Payback service?
You can opt out of the service by chatting to a Customer Service Advisor via our Live Chat (please see the icon on the bottom right-hand side of the Utilita Website Homepage) - or please contact our Customer Service Team on 0330 3337 442 Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturday, 8am to 5pm and we’ll sort this for you.
What happens if I move home?
In case you move house, your account won’t meet the eligibility criteria for the service anymore and will be removed. You will need to re-register to the service at least 15 days after moving to the new address, provided you are still supplied by Utilita.
You can let us know about your move using our online forms.
You can find all T&C's here - please make sure you read them.
Last edited by Rebecca; 21-11-23 at 10:56.
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