Octopus offers free power to customers who cut back during solar eclipse

• Customers can get an hour of free electricity if they use nothing during the eclipse
• Household flexibility is one of Britain’s biggest untapped energy resources
• The solar eclipse is set to take place between 6pm and 8pm this Wednesday

Octopus Energy will give its customers an hour of free electricity if they don’t use any between the hours of 6pm and 8pm during the solar eclipse this Wednesday.

Why is the biggest energy company in the UK asking its customers to not use energy? The reasons is to protect the national grid just as the sun is dimmed, which will overlap with peak energy usage time.

Octopus said the eclipse will briefly knock out a part of Britain’s solar power at the same time as people are getting home, cooking dinner, watching TV, using their home’s WiFi network and much more.

Because solar power is playing such an increasingly important role in Britain’s energy mix, generating a record 14.4% of our electricity in July, the two hours or so there will be no generation will leave a gap that might be filled by gas.

However, we can avoid this if enough of us choose not to use any electricity during the eclipse and make sure gas-powered stations don’t get fired up.

That’s why Octopus has launched the Eclipse Power Down initiative, which is part of its Octoplus rewards programme.

This means that customers who are signed up to the Octoplus Saving Sessions will be entitled to one hour of free power on Sunday (16th August) as long as they don’t use any electricity during the eclipse.

The company described household flexibility as “one of Britain’s biggest untapped energy resources” and estimated that homes could provide 13GW of flexible capacity to support the electricity system – particularly through smart appliances, EVs and home batteries.

Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Customer Officer at Octopus Energy, said that by shifting everyday tasks like the washing machine or dishwasher until later, households can “help reduce the need for gas power stations – and earn rewards for doing their bit.”

Written By

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger Deputy editor

Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024 and became deputy editor in 2025. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.

He has represented The Eco Experts on national television several times, including the BBC’s Sunday Morning Live and ITV Tonight .

In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.

He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.

Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.

As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.

His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.

Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.

More about