Announced on 12 November 2026, the Octopus Peak Performance programme aims to ease pressure on Britain’s electricity grid while helping businesses lower their energy costs. It comes as industrial electricity prices remain among the highest in Europe, with gas prices affected by supply disruptions linked to the Iran war.
How Businesses Can Earn Money by Shifting Electricity Demand
Under the new programme, businesses will receive payments for adjusting their electricity consumption when demand is high or moving energy-intensive activities to periods when renewable generation is more plentiful.
According to Octopus Energy, participating companies will be paid for every megawatt (MW) of electricity demand they can shift. A single megawatt is roughly equivalent to the power consumed by a large supermarket or commercial office building at any given moment.
Potential earnings could reach thousands or tens of thousands of pounds annually, depending on the amount of electricity shifted and how frequently businesses participate.
The company’s illustrative calculations suggest that shifting 1 MW of demand over 365 hours at an average wholesale price of £120 per megawatt-hour could generate tens of thousands of pounds over a year. Actual payments will depend on market prices and individual participation. Factories, warehouses and hotels are among the businesses that could benefit from the programme.
Companies wishing to participate can register their interest, after which Octopus will assess their electricity consumption individually to determine whether they can reduce demand without disrupting normal operations.
Existing Octopus Energy for Business customers can also combine the programme with smart tariffs such as Shape Shifters, which the company says has helped participating businesses save an average of 7% on annual electricity bills.
The initiative builds on Octopus’s Saving Sessions programme for households, which has already paid customers more than £12 million for reducing electricity consumption during peak periods.
Why Electricity Flexibility Matters for Britain’s Power Grid
The programme is being delivered in partnership with Voltus, a US-based energy technology company managing 8.5 gigawatts (GW) of flexible electricity capacity across North America. The partnership marks Voltus’s first entry into the UK market.
Britain’s electricity system faces challenges balancing supply and demand, particularly during periods of limited renewable generation or increased consumption.
According to The Independent, transmission bottlenecks, extreme weather and the growing contribution of intermittent renewable generation have added to the difficulties facing the national grid operator.
Electricity prices are frequently determined by the final power station needed to meet demand, often a gas-fired plant. This exposes electricity costs to fluctuations in gas prices, particularly during peak periods.
Research cited by Octopus Energy suggests British businesses could provide up to 6 GW of flexible electricity demand by 2030, equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 6,000 supermarkets.
Alex Schoch, Octopus Energy’s director of flexibility and electrification, said more than a million of the company’s household customers already receive payments for changing when they use electricity. Marissa Galizia, senior director of partnerships at Voltus, described business energy flexibility as one of the fastest ways to relieve pressure on Britain’s electricity network.
For now, the programme is accepting expressions of interest from businesses meeting the £20,000 monthly electricity spending threshold, with eligibility assessed individually before participation.
