Welcome to Flex & Earn! This winter, we’re encouraging drivers to use less energy and get rewarded up to £50 worth of Amazon vouchers for doing so. In this driver guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about signing up, taking part, and receiving your reward.
Jump to:
- What’s Flex & Earn?
- Getting started
- Smart meters
- Taking part in Flex & Earn
- Flex & Earn results
- Help & Support
What’s Flex & Earn?
What’s Flex & Earn?
Flex & Earn is part of the National Grid Energy System Operator’s (ESO) Demand Flexibility Service (DFS). You’ll be rewarded for reducing your energy usage during busier times, when there’s increased demand on the grid.
By signing up, you’ll be playing an important part in contributing to a greener grid (and you’ll earn up to £50 worth of Amazon vouchers for doing so).
Why is this important?
DFS has been designed to help encourage consumers to use less electricity when lots of households and businesses are using electricity at the same time. This means that we can prevent expensive and polluting fossil fuel generators from being fired up to keep up with demand. You can find out more about why matching energy supply and demand is important here.
How does Flex & Earn help to balance the grid?
From November ’23 to March ’24, there will be a series of events in which energy consumption needs to be reduced. These events are a couple of hours long, when there’s increased demand on the grid (typically in the early evening when most people head home from work).
What’s in it for me?
There’s up to £50 worth of Amazon vouchers up for grabs.
We’ll do all the hard work in the background for you. All you need to do is keep plugging in and out when prompted, and we’ll take care of the rest.
For each week that you plug in successfully, you’ll bank £2.50. At the end of Flex & Earn, we’ll tally up your successful charge sessions and send you your reward.
Getting Started
Am I eligible to take part?
Any Ohme customer on a fixed or standard variable tariff with a smart meter will be able to take part, as long as you aren’t registered with any other DFS provider.
If you move house or withdraw consent during the programme, you’ll no longer be able to earn rewards.
How do I sign up?
You should have received an email with a link to our sign-up survey. Once complete, we’ll review your answers and send you an email to confirm you’re all set.
Smart Meters
Why do I need to have a working smart meter to take part?
Flex & Earn is part of National Grid ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service, which requires us to monitor your energy usage and prove energy has been reduced when required. We do this by analysing information taken from your smart meter.
How do I get a smart meter?
If you don’t already have a working smart meter and you’d like to get one, you can request one from your energy supplier.
What if my smart meter drops offline?
If your smart meter loses connection and doesn’t come back online, you won’t be able to continue participating in Flex & Earn events. If you’re having trouble with your smart meter’s connectivity, contact your energy supplier for support.
Taking part in Flex & Earn
What do I need to do to get my £50 worth of Amazon vouchers?
Once you’ve successfully registered, taking part is simple:
- Plug in by 16:30
- Plug out after 19:00
- Plug your EV in during the above times at least 3 times a week (Monday – Friday)
Why do I need to plug in between 16:30-19:00 on a weekday?
This is when the grid usually needs extra help, as lots of households and businesses are using electricity at the same time, so demand is higher. On days when the grid needs electricity consumption to be reduced, we’ll shift your charging to a later time. On days when there isn’t any pressure on the grid, we’ll charge your EV normally.
How will Flex & Earn affect my charging?
How your charging is affected will depend on whether or not there is a Flex & Earn event taking place. From November ’23 to March ’24, there will be a series of events in which energy consumption needs to be reduced. These events are a couple of hours long, when there’s increased demand on the grid (typically in the early evening when most people head home from work).
If there isn’t an event, we’ll start charging your EV as soon as you plug in.
If there is an event, we’ll delay your charging until the event is over. Don’t worry, we’ll also check your Charge Schedule before doing so, so that we can make sure you have enough charge by your selected departure time.
If you haven’t already created a Charge Schedule, you can do so in the My Charger section of the Ohme app. This lets Ohme know exactly how much charge you want and when you want it by. Check out this how-to video for a step-by-step guide to creating your perfect schedule.
Keep an eye on your inbox throughout the Flex & Earn service period for our top tips to further reduce your energy consumption during each event.
How will I know when the grid needs me to use less electricity?
National Grid ESO will notify Ohme when it’s time to use less electricity. We’ll send you an email informing you an event is about to take place, so you’ll know that your car won’t charge if it’s plugged in, along with some tips to further reduce your energy consumption.
What happens if my plan change?
If your plans change, you’ll still be able to unplug your car or switch to max charge as you normally would. But, if you switch to max charge between 16:30 – 19:00 on an event day, you’ll miss out on your weekly reward.
Will it cost me extra to charge my car?
Only Ohme drivers on a flat rate tariff are eligible for Flex & Earn, which means you pay the same price for your electricity throughout the day and night. So it won’t cost you any extra to charge your car.
Will my car be charged as much as I requested?
We’ll take your charging preferences in the Ohme app into consideration, so you can expect to reach your requested charge target by your departure time. If you have a schedule set with a departure time for the following morning, you might not achieve your target if you unplug at 7pm. To achieve your target, you may need to keep your EV plugged in for an overnight charge.
Do I have to take part every week?
No, you can take part in as many or as few weeks as you like. If a particular week isn’t convenient for you, you can skip that week and join the next one that works for you.
Flex & Earn results
What do I need to do to get my £50 Amazon voucher?
Once you’ve successfully registered, taking part is simple:
- Plug in by 16:30
- Plug out after 19:00
- Plug your EV in during the above times at least 3 times a week (Monday – Friday)
How do you work out if I’ve been successful?
Each week, we’ll look at your charge session data to check if you plugged your EV in before 16:30 and if you stayed plugged in until 19:00 on at least 3 occasions, without setting your charger to max charge during an event.
How do I know if I’ve been successful?
We’ll send you a weekly round-up every Wednesday letting you know whether or not you were successful in earning a reward in the previous week, alongside charging insights from Ohme drivers like you who are helping to balance the grid.
Help & Support
Who do I contact if I need help?
If you have any questions related to Flex & Earn, please email [email protected].
For general questions relating to your charging, you can send us a message via
[email protected].