Earn $2 Credit for Every kWh of Electricity You Reduce with Saving Sessions @ Octopus Energy

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Earn $2 Credit for Every kWh of Electricity You Reduce with Saving Sessions @ Octopus Energy
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BlackLab on 05/08/2026 - 23:07 octopusenergy.nz (251 clicks)
Last edited 06/08/2026 - 02:13 by 1 other user

I haven't seen this posted before. Octopus Energy will give you $2 per kWh of reduced usage during peak hours.
The next Savings Session is Thursday 6th August between 7:30-8:30am

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Saving Sessions

Earn $2 for every kWh of electricity you reduce with Saving Sessions

Saving Sessions are back!

We’ve launched Saving Sessions for 2026 where you get paid to use less electricity at times when there is extra high electricity demand. You can play a valuable role in reducing the cost of electricity and the use of fossil fuel generation in the system by shifting usage away from these times. Better yet, we’ll reward you for it.

It’s entirely optional to participate! We encourage you to have fun and tag us on Instagram and Facebook to show us how you are saving this winter.

How will Saving Sessions work?

When a period of extra high demand is forecasted we will announce a Saving Session event.

All customers who have opted into Saving Sessions will be notified ahead of the event time. Each event will usually last for one hour. Expect them to typically occur during the peak periods (7 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 9 pm, weekdays).

If you have opted into Saving Sessions, you will be notified of a scheduled event via email and SMS notification and the time it will take place. We will reward you $2 for every kWh of reduced usage.

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  • BlackLab on 05/08/2026 - 23:17

    Looks like the country's electricity supply may be tight on Thursday 6 August 2026 so we've locked in a Saving Session.

    Saving Session Details
    Time: 7:30am to 8:30am
    Date: Thursday 6 August 2026

    During this time we'll pay you $2 for every kWh you reduce your usage by, so set your alarm and get ready to save.

    Save as much as you can, but make sure you stay warm, safe and comfortable and don’t turn anything essential off.

    For more about Saving Sessions and how we calculate your savings, visit our website or check out our blog for tips on getting the most out of the sessions.

    Kind regards,
    Octopus Energy NZ

    • 1
  • RockCartel on 06/08/2026 - 08:09

    I wonder if they have bought / hedged some supply at x rate, but demand is above what they have hedged, and pushing the spot buy price above their sell price.

    I love the marketing "encourage you to have fun"
    We need some memes of this.
    I see a flat of young people in the dark, heater off, under the covers having 'fun' staying hot (and steamy).

    https://www.transpower.co.nz/system-operator/notices-and-rep…
    https://www.ea.govt.nz/industry/wholesale/spot-market/

    • 4
  • Alan6984 on 06/08/2026 - 08:13

    How do they calculate what your reduced usage was? Do they give you a reference usage for that hour ahead of time, and compare to that?

    • 1
    • BlackLab on 06/08/2026 - 08:47

      Didn't see any reference amount in the email but you can look it up on your account, although that is only for a full hour (e.g. 7-8am).

      They say how they calculate it in the FAQ

      Firstly you must have a communicating smart meter. We’ll then look at your historical smart meter data leading up to a Session, and calculate what you usually use at that time of day, on average.

      If the Session is on a weekday, we’ll look at your half-hourly usage over the last 10 weekdays (excluding Saving Session days). If the Session is on a weekend, we’ll look at your half hourly usage over the last 4 weekend days.

      We then use these half-hourly averages as a benchmark – so you’ll earn credit for every kilowatt hour you save compared to that number during your Session.

      • 0
      • squareeyes on 06/08/2026 - 09:17

        Great so those invested in ongoing optimisations like timers and solar won't benefit for having no reduction from normal. Missing out on all the "fun".

        • 0
        • BlackLab on 06/08/2026 - 10:52

          It's even worse for those that are fully off-grid ;)

          • 0
        • boland on 06/08/2026 - 12:59

          Only if you have a battery, as you could export from your battery as well.
          Negative usage will also count, so if you normally import nothing from the grid, but during the savings hour export e.g. 5kwh, you get $10.

          • 0
  • Flippant on 06/08/2026 - 08:14

    How much power are people using to make this achievable? I just checked our usage since 1st July and the highest single hours usage at any time of day or night was 1.87kwh and that was last Tuesday around lunchtime when it was snowing and we had everything running.

    • 4
    • Alan6984 on 06/08/2026 - 08:17

      How much power are people using to make this achievable? I just checked our usage for the entire month of July and the highest single hours usage at any time of day or night was 1.87kwh and that was last Tuesday around lunchtime when it was snowing and we had everything running.

      Good point - most people might be able to save one kWh, so they'll get $2 (plus, perhaps, the saving on that one kWH so call it another 30c perhaps)?

      • 0
    • BlackLab on 06/08/2026 - 08:51

      We have a big household and have been using 2.8-5.2 kWh between 7-8am.

      So the max we could save would be 5 kWh but there will still be some residual power use for the fridge etc but we can turn off the spa, underfloor heating, heated towel rails etc

      • 1
      • Flippant on 06/08/2026 - 09:23

        5kwh in an hour! On average we used less than 10kwh a day last month, 307kwh in 32 days was our latest bill.

        • 0
        • itakestime on 06/08/2026 - 09:49

          Daym. I use 3x that. Avg 30kwh/day at the moment.

          • 0
        • Alan6984 on 06/08/2026 - 10:01

          On average we used less than 10kwh a day last month, 307kwh in 32 days was our latest bill.

          Averaging 10 kWh per day sounds very low, but it will depend on your situation of course.

          Are you on your own, in an apartment (so almost or literally, no heating required even at this time of year) for example? Probably not charging an EV?

          We are in a standalone house, in Auckland, with three / four people (depending on who is home / away), and we used about 1,200 kWh last month, including all the free use in the evenings, charging the car etc.

          • 0
          • danvelopment on 06/08/2026 - 10:09

            @Alan6984: 10kWh/day seems normal to me for 2 adults only. That's what we used back when my wife and I lived in a standalone 3 bedroom house in Browns Bay, before she got an EV. I would say 6 years ago?

            Good sun and insulation, no heat pump but there was a pot belly stove we occasionally burnt wood in (that I cut myself), again LPG cooktop. We were paying ~$110/m back then, and $40 to fill the 9kg LPG bottle every three months, so $120/m total.

            Would have been way more with a shitty ceramic cooktop, or mains gas ($50/month in dailies alone on mains gas)

            With an EV and solar now, baby, heatpump running most nights and TV all day, we imported 415kWh and exported 172kWh with a 6kW solar system. So we're probably sitting around the 15-17kWh/day mark of actual consumption.

            • 0
      • RockCartel on 06/08/2026 - 11:29

        1.5 kWh 7-8pm for 2 of us. When the heatpump is turned off later in the evening it drops to 0.5 kWh (electric blanket, TV), then 0.25 in the middle of the night (fridge, internet).

        • 0
    • danvelopment on 06/08/2026 - 09:39

      Anyone using enough power for it to make a difference either has so many people that it will be impossible to co-ordinate (imagine telling 7 people to get up at 6am to shower so you can save $4), or they're burning through so much power generally that they'd be better served just using less power.

      Two adults, one baby in our house. 6kW solar, no battery. LPG cooktop. Power bill $171.52 for 1-31 July. Saving ten bucks a month wouldn't be enough to motivate me to stop showering/making coffee in the morning before work. My work hourly is way higher than that, probably lose an hour of productivity at work being smelly and tired.

      • 0
      • Alan6984 on 06/08/2026 - 10:02

        … probably lose an hour of productivity at work being smelly and tired.

        ;-)

        • 0
      • BlackLab on 06/08/2026 - 10:49

        You make it sound like it is a massive effort but it doesn't have to be. Can be as simple as flicking off a few switches and putting on your washing machine / dishwasher a bit later in the day.

        They do this multiple times throughout winter so lots of opportunity to save. Plus you save the money from the power you're not using during the time.

        • 0
        • danvelopment on 06/08/2026 - 11:08

          Peak hours are peak hours because they're the times people are using power for living tasks, at 7-8am it's showers and breakfast before school/work, not washing machines/dishwashers.

          At 6-7pm it's cooking dinner, kids watching TV, heatpump making the house livable. Also not washing machines/dishwashers.

          You're not going to save a kWh of power turning lights off at peak times.

          • 0
          • BlackLab on 06/08/2026 - 11:49

            @danvelopment: Each to their own. Nobody is forcing you to save money.

            It's all about choices; do I put the kettle on at 7.25am instead of 7.30am? do I wear an extra layer instead of turning on the heater? Do I cook a massive fry up or have cold cereal for breakfast? Do I really need a heated towel rail or underfloor heating on for this one hour? Do I post inane comments on the internet or do I go outside and yell at the clouds?

            • -1
            • danvelopment on 06/08/2026 - 11:56

              @BlackLab: I can see which one you chose on that last one.

              I've already answered your questions in the very first post:
              Anyone using enough power for it to make a difference either has so many people that it will be impossible to co-ordinate (imagine telling 7 people to get up at 6am to shower so you can save $4), or they're burning through so much power generally that they'd be better served just using less power.

              If you can make a substantial difference in that one hour, you have power consumption problems where you should probably look into a lifestyle change and you'll save A LOT more.

              Why not just turn off the underfloor heating or towel rails permanently? If you can't do that, it's probably valuable enough to you that $2 isn't going to matter, if you did, you'd save a lot more across the month than paying special attention during these periods.

              If you're conscious enough to consider wearing an extra layer because it will save you a fraction of $2 between strict time periods, why not just generally wear an extra layer? Again, that will make more of a difference across the month.

              • -1
  • danvelopment on 06/08/2026 - 08:52

    If NZ did spot pricing on exports they'd magically find everyone has batteries and exports at peak hours.

    Instead they all give a flat rate between "only okay" and "next to nothing". EG I get a flat rate of 18c no matter the time of day, so I wouldn't export any during peak hours as it's better that I maximise offsets. Many energy companies offer ~8c and some offer nothing at all.

    • 2
    • BlackLab on 06/08/2026 - 09:01

      You can earn up to 70c per kWh if you live in Arrowtown!

      And that's on discharge from the battery, so you can even be using it in your own home. If you export you'll also get the export rate on top.

      It's just a trial at this stage but can't wait for them to expand the area. Also available in Queenstown but the rates are only 5-20 kWh.

      https://octopusenergy.nz/battery-flexing-with-aurora

      • 0
      • danvelopment on 06/08/2026 - 09:17

        It's better but it's still not the spot rate, if these guys are paying $2/kWh, then you can safely assume the spot rate >$2/kWh.

        And it's discharge and not exports, which is super weird. Obviously the spot rate will be WAY above 70c in Arrowtown at those times and they're just paying for people to offset their buys.

        • 0
  • Everettpsycho on 06/08/2026 - 09:14

    Now we just need an API call for home assistant to turn all your stuff off when the flags up. Probably crank the heat pumps up at 6am to turn them off at 7am and use your house a thermal battery.

    • 3
  • huffboy on 06/08/2026 - 12:39

    They didnt hedge enough (or at all). make them suffer so they will hedge instead of being greedy next time.

    • 0
  • nzmax on 06/08/2026 - 12:47

    The joys of NZs third world electricity network

    • -1
    • richms on 06/08/2026 - 13:59

      The physical network is fine, its the way that they get paid for energy that sucks.

      • 1
        • Everettpsycho on 06/08/2026 - 17:12

          It's the most cost effective solution for rural networks. Underground works well with density but when it's long distances a pole every 100m is cheaper than digging a hole that long.

          Most countries use overhead network to cover distances for this exact reason.

          What the general population never understands is how expensive digging holes is. And then when it breaks finding the issue is a nightmare if it's buried. At least above ground you can see it or run thermal imaging over it to track down why the powers out.

          • 1
          • huffboy on 06/08/2026 - 19:11

            @Everettpsycho: not talking about rural. even ponsonby <1km from auckland CBD is filled with poles.

            holes are expensive, thats why only rich countries can afford it not 3rd worlds.

            • -1
      • nzmax on 06/08/2026 - 16:03

        Well it is the way the market we pros. But we should never get to the point of running low on power, no matter what the train

        • 0
  • deans0r on 06/08/2026 - 19:00

    Most likely this isn't them not buying enough hedged power, it is likely a continuation of their parent company's saving sessions. When we were living over in UK, and the gas prices went rocketing up in 2022, Octopus Energy did saving sessions to when the spot price went high, although these sessions are through the national grid flexibility service rather than just Octopus doing it.

    • 0
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