More than 50,000 households are being rewarded for flexible electricity use
Aisling Walsh, customer and strategy manager at ESB Networks
Small changes in when we use electricity can make a meaningful collective difference. That’s the thinking behind Is This a Good Time?, an ESB Networks programme that rewards customers for shifting some of their electricity use to times when demand is lower or renewable electricity is more abundant.
Open to all electricity customers, regardless of supplier, the programme gives households a practical way to take part in Ireland’s energy transition. Participants receive alerts that help them make informed decisions about when to use electricity and can earn rewards for taking action.
While energy costs often dominate the conversation, energy flexibility remains a relatively new concept for many households. Yet simply changing when we use electricity can help make better use of renewable energy, reduce demand on the network during peak periods and support a more flexible and resilient electricity system.
Through initiatives such as Is This a Good Time?, ESB Networks is helping customers play an active role in creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, one small change at a time.
“As demand for electricity continues to grow, we need to ensure that the electricity network remains resilient while also maximising the use of renewable energy when it is available,” says Aisling Walsh, customer and strategy manager at ESB Networks. “More than 50,000 customers have already participated in our Is This a Good Time? programme, showing that our customers not only understand the important role flexibility plays, but are willing to take action.
“By making small, practical changes to when they use electricity, their collective efforts are helping to ease congestion on the network, make better use of renewable energy and support the transition to a more renewable, net-zero future. Our aim is to continue giving customers practical and relatable ways to take part and make a real difference.”
The electricity network faces greatest demand between 5pm and 7pm. Like clockwork, everyone begins to use their appliances at the same time. “They are getting home from school or work and putting the kettle on, the dishwasher on, maybe putting a wash on or charging their electric car,” Walsh says. “There’s a massive draw on the network as a result.”
Customers who sign up to the Is This a Good Time? programme on the ESB Networks website receive text and email alerts with helpful information and tips on how to make the most of their home’s energy usage, with suggestions to “flex down” or “flex up”, and updates about peak events.
Small shifts can bring real rewards. Participants in Is This a Good Time? can earn digital gift cards simply by making small, practical changes to when they use electricity. Whether it’s setting the dishwasher to run later, charging an EV overnight or using an air fryer instead of the oven, these everyday actions can add up to make a real difference. Best of all, the programme is open to all electricity customers, regardless of their supplier.
“If there’s lots of wind available, we’ll ask customers to flex up, so to use their appliances at this time instead of their usual time,” Walsh says. Similarly, when there is less renewable electricity on the network, customers will be asked to “flex down”, and delay heavy appliance usage and perhaps look at alternatives such as using an air fryer instead of the oven.
“If we anticipate periods of particularly high demand on the network, participating customers may receive a text message encouraging them to reduce or shift some of their electricity use for a short period,” Walsh explains. “The aim is to make the best possible use of the network capacity we already have."
Essentially, this means that small actions taken by thousands of customers can make a significant collective difference. By shifting electricity use away from the busiest periods, customers help reduce demand on the network and free up capacity when it is needed most.
“These are simple changes that generally do not impact people’s daily routines,” Walsh says. “It could be running the dishwasher a little later in the evening or charging an electric vehicle at a different time. Individually, these actions may seem small, but together they can help balance demand across the network. It is also about making greater use of electricity when renewable generation is more readily available, helping us build a more flexible, efficient and lower-carbon energy system for everyone.”
More than 50,000 customers have signed up already, and those who take action after receiving the alerts are rewarded with digital gift cards. Walsh says the goal is to instigate a “mindset shift” about how and when we consume electricity. It’s already happening, she says, as the drive for sustainability becomes the norm and customers become more cognisant of where their energy is coming from.
“Rewards are about helping to change behaviours, but over the longer term, ideally, people will automatically change their behaviour and begin to time their dishwashers or dryers to run later or change when they charge their electric car,” she says.
The Is This a Good Time? programme is easily signed up to on the ESB Networks website and, while it is suitable for everyone regardless of their electricity supplier, Walsh says ESB Networks is conscious that it also has many customers who may find it more difficult to participate.
“Every household is different and customers are best placed to decide what works for them,” she says. “Flexibility is completely voluntary. For those who choose to take part, it’s an opportunity to make small changes that fit around their routine, earn rewards for their participation, and help create a more efficient and sustainable electricity system. Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a difference.”
