National Grid’s grid-smart meter scheme starts today

The first thing you should do is check whether your supplier is one of the 26 that has signed up to the scheme, according to National Grid. You'll get a notification that it starts today.

The BBC has been contacted by several people who are frustrated that they can't participate due to not having a smart meter, and the scheme is only available to homes with smart meters.

There were initially concerns that it wouldn't draw enough interest due to the level of discounts being offered. But Craig Dyke, head of national control at National Grid ESO, told the BBC that consumers had saved more energy than forecast during the nine tests so far.

He said there are no economical grid-scale energy-storage solutions that can see the country through a spell of cold weather, which coincides with a lull in the wind, and that is unlikely to change for many years to come.