Households urged to delay the dishes and even their cuppa to save money and help keep Britain flowing

●      Running the dishwasher or washing machine later could help cut bills while easing pressure on the grid and Yorkshire's water network

●      Even waiting a little longer to boil the kettle can make a difference during the busy evening rush

●      Eligible Octopus customers can get paid for using less electricity between 8pm and 9pm tonight during one of its popular Saving Sessions

●      Customers on smart tariffs can also save money by using electricity when it's greener and cheaper

Fancy a cuppa? It might pay to wait.

Octopus Energy and Yorkshire Water are encouraging households to delay everyday jobs like putting the washing machine on, running the dishwasher or even boiling the kettle until after the busy evening rush.

The simple switch can help ease pressure on both Britain's electricity grid and Yorkshire's water network – and for many households, it could also save money.

Customers on Octopus' smart tariffs already pay less when there's lots of renewable electricity on the grid, meaning shifting energy-hungry jobs to quieter times of the day can help bring bills down.

Tonight, eligible customers can even get paid to use less electricity.

Octopus is running a Saving Session between 8pm and 9pm, rewarding Octoplus customers with Octopoints for every unit of electricity they cut compared with their usual usage during that hour.

The points can be swapped for money off energy bills, prizes or donated to help customers in need through Octopus' Octo Assist fund.*

More than 2 million Octopus customers have already signed up to the company's flexibility schemes, with more than £11 million paid out to households for shifting their electricity use away from peak times.

Smart tariffs have also helped Octopus customers save almost £1 billion, including £200 million this year alone, by using electricity when it's cleaner and cheaper.

Kieron Stopforth, Head of Flexibility at Octopus Energy, said: "Most of us don't think twice about putting the kettle on or running the dishwasher after dinner, but even small changes to when we use electricity can make a real difference.

"Moving those jobs by just an hour or two helps make better use of renewable energy, supports the grid and can put money back into people's pockets too. Saving Sessions prove that thousands of households making small changes together can have a huge impact."

Andy Shaw, head of water quality and production at Yorkshire Water, said: "Our reservoirs are currently in a healthy position, sitting at 75.7%, and our network is more resilient than ever. As always, we’re asking customers to use water wisely to ensure that our network can continue to meet demand during peak periods in the hot weather. A really simple way to do this is by holding off using your dishwasher or washing machine until after the evening rush, or by making simple switches in your usual routine.”

According to Water Wise, kitchens use 22% of household water. In addition to using appliances  later in the day, customers can also support the local network by:

-       Using full dishwashers on eco settings, rather than washing by hand

-       Scraping rather than pre-rinsing dishes, as most modern detergents are designed to work effectively without extra rinsing

-       Filling washing machines to recommended load sizes, and using the most water-efficient (eco) setting

Household flexibility remains one of Britain's biggest untapped resources. Octopus estimates UK homes could provide around 13GW of flexible electricity capacity – particularly through electric vehicles and home batteries – helping create a cleaner, cheaper and more resilient energy system.