ScottishPower partnered with equiwatt to launch the Power Saver app in November 2023, according to equiwatt, the company that runs the app1. The app is free and is used to take part in demand flexibility events, in which households are paid for cutting or shifting electricity use at peak times1.
equiwatt states that it passes on 80% of the payments offered by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) for taking part in its Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) events1. It also states that it sets no minimum amount of electricity that must be saved to earn rewards, and that points are earned for whatever is saved1.
"ScottishPower partnered with equiwatt to launch their Power Saver app in November 2023."
The app is not restricted to ScottishPower customers. equiwatt describes itself as energy supplier agnostic, meaning users can keep using the app and earning rewards for shifting electricity use if they change supplier1. Participation can be automated through smart plugs, electric vehicles, IFTTT, webhooks and an Open API, so users do not have to switch appliances off manually during each event1.
equiwatt says it runs events all year round, not only DFS events, and is contracted to run events with the UK's six Distribution Network Operators and other flexibility markets1. It states that its community has been running peak time energy saving events for more than three years, across more than 300 events1.
Why it matters for households
Demand flexibility payments are a way for a household to earn money from a smart meter without changing supplier or tariff. The household's energy independence here is limited but real: it depends on being able to move consumption, such as running a washing machine, dishwasher or EV charge outside peak hours, rather than on generating its own power.
The arrangement also separates the app from the supply contract. Because equiwatt says it works with any supplier, the rewards are not tied to staying with ScottishPower, and a household that switches supplier does not lose access1. The 80% pass-through figure is equiwatt's own statement of how NESO payments are shared; the sources do not set out how the remainder is used, and no independent verification of the split is given1.
Automation matters for participation in practice, since events are called at short notice and manual switching is easy to miss. equiwatt lists smart plugs, EVs, IFTTT, webhooks and an Open API as ways to automate taking part1. The sources do not state which specific devices or brands are supported, or what a typical household earns per event.
What happens next
No further dates or next steps are given in the sources. The launch date of November 2023 is the only dated event reported1.
Households wanting to understand how supplier apps and online accounts work can read the guide to energy supplier apps and online accounts, and those comparing suppliers can read the ScottishPower profile or the wider suppliers section. Background on metering and home energy management is in the smart meters and home energy management section.