To switch electricity off at the fuse box?

[CrapBucket]

I've signed up to this energy saving session thing that is all over the news. Where you don't use your appliances etc for certain time slots.

Rather than go round checking each room, and making sure teenagers are actually switching things off, I thought I would just flick the main fuse switch thingy. Super efficient (Yes I am lazy)

Does anyone know if this will work as a plan, the meter will still work I assume? So Octopus can see I have used zero energy?

I will keep fridge and freezer doors shut. TBH we will probably all go out for the whole time anyway.

I have a smart meter but I don't have wifi at home. It doesn’t connect to your home broadband..

It's aimed at shifting use of big energy consumers like tumble drying, washing machine, cooking, electric showers, etc. Turning off power altogether is overkill and can just be annoying. No wifi, your clock settings on things will reset, our smoke alarms get really annoyed and beep, etc.

My smart meter doesn't actually work in the house at all - just suddenly stopped working one day - but the electricity company still gets the smart meter readings.

Your smart meter will need to remain plugged in as that is how they are monitoring it.

Often the fuse box has a number of isolated switches for various things (e.g. sockets, lights, oven etc).

Have a look - you may just be able to switch upstairs plugs and lights off, for eg.

Alternatively, (if you can) have a family pot for the savings, or a portion of them, so they go towards something nice for everyone. E.g. a takeaway that month or next year's holiday.

If your electric smart meter loses power, the display might not work, but it still stores your readings and sends them to your supplier once it's back on.
Gas meters are normally battery powered so aren't affected.

How do you sign up? no info on my eon account yet.

We're planning to turn all the individual things off, partly because our gate will not open so wouldn't be able to get the car out, and everything would need to be reset. Surely it's a reduction we are looking for rather than a total cut?

I think it's just Octopus, Ovo and British Gas running the scheme so far

www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/10/octopus-ovo-energy-pay-to-cut-electricity-use/

What about just switching off the fuse for the upstairs ring main assuming most things your children have okugged in are in their bedroom? Then fridge, router etc should reamin on.

I've signed up for it.
We live in a village where we get power cuts every year so have a well used power cut routine.
It seems they are going to compare your normal useage between 4pm and 7pm with your useage on the down day.

Smart meter is not powered by home wifi or mobile so will function.

Turning it all off wouldn't do any harm as long as you don't open freezers. Ours was off for 7 hours last December and everything was fine.
However your central heating won't work (assuming it's gas or oil).
Obviously wifi.
I won't be turning the power off. I will just avoid using any high power things like heaters, oven, kettle immersion heater (we have no gas). So we will eat a cold meal or just microwave.

We have no mobile signal and rely on "WiFi calling" so when power goes off there is no phone access. We bought a UPS box which is basically a big battery. It kept the router going for 5 hours in a power cut. Not suggesting you buy one because it would cost more than you save but if anyone has one they will come in handy.

Im planning Crockpot meals as can have it set to turn off before 4pm but it will stay warm. We have bittle gas heater for sitting room

Thanks - didn't know about the freezer so that's good to know. Responses clearly include some people who haven't heard of the scheme, don't be alarmed, I'm not doing anything extreme!

I can see the logic as I can’t physically get to some of my appliances that are built in. I thought of turning off some of the house at the fuse box. I think it won’t really work for me as I’m not a high user of electricity.

My smart meter, which is only for electricity, isn't plugged in in my house - I unplugged it and stuck it in a cupboard when it stopped working - but my electricity supplier still gets readings from my meter directly to their system.

They send me my electricity readings when they ask me for my gas meter reading and their reading always matches the reading on my main electricity meter.

I was told that the smart meter in your house doesn't 'send' a message to the supplier it's just for you to keep a check on your usage.

@CrapBucket what incentive are they actually offering you?

If you turn it off at consumer unit or individual circuits then yes watch your surge protection.

The thing you plug in inside your house isn't a smart meter. It's an in-house display and is purely to show the consumer information. You can stick it in a drawer and it'll make no difference. Smart meters are powered directly at the meter (for electric) and by battery for gas, and it doesn't use your electricity supply (so it doesn't cost you money to run).

You're going to wreck your fridge if you keep doing that. It's not worth it.

And they'll beep unevenly at random intervals through the entire time...

Yeah, I understood it to be not using high energy appliances during peak times (4 - 7 pm) but only for one hour per day and you would get notified beforehand.

It said on the news an average family could save £100 per year? That seems a small amount, I was only half listening so I could be miles out 😀

Your smart meter will need to remain plugged in as that is how they are monitoring it.

The thing that you plug in is not your smart meter, and is not used by the electricity company for monitoring you consumption. It's called an in-house display, and it fetches data from your smart meter so that you can see it.

You smart meter is upstream of your fuse box, and is always on when you're getting electricity. (It would somewhat defeat the purpose if you could get electricity while it was turned off.)

Not what you are asking but where are you going to go out too? How are you saving money if you will be out possibly spending, even just on petrol?

@CrapBucket turningbyour fridge off overnight is dangerous: www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-62341616

If that were the case then what are they going to do if there’s a power cut?

Ours have a back up battery inside and still work in a power cut!