Octopus Energy has confirmed that Birmingham households can receive free electricity every weekend until October 31, 2026, by participating in two one-hour Power Down sessions during the week. The offer, called Weekend Happy Hours, follows the success of the Eclipse Power Down event that attracted a record 794,000 participants.
How to Get Free Weekend Electricity
Customers must take part in two one-hour Power Down sessions on weekdays to earn one hour of free electricity at the weekend. To qualify, customers need to pay by Direct Debit or prepay, have a working electricity smart meter, be an Octoplus member (Octopus's free rewards programme), and be signed up to Saving Sessions, which rewards Octoplus members for helping balance the grid.
Customers who use less electricity than usual during the two weekday sessions will automatically earn one hour of free electricity for the weekend. They can choose from a selection of one-hour slots on Saturday or Sunday for their Happy Hour, or save the free hours and use them later, up until October 31, 2026.
Record-Breaking Eclipse Power Down Event
The new scheme follows huge demand for Octopus's Eclipse Power Down, which saw 794,000 customers take part. During that event, customers who cut their electricity use during the eclipse were rewarded with one hour of free electricity and collectively used 650MWh, enough to power a city double the size of Birmingham for an hour.
Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Customer Officer at Octopus Energy, said: “Nearly a million Octopus customers switched off, enjoyed the skies AND earned free electricity during the eclipse. And we’re keeping good times flowing with the launch of Weekend Happy Hours - till the end of October, use less for two hours during the week and get one whole hour of power free every weekend.”
Impact on Birmingham Households
Octopus Energy serves Birmingham households and the Weekend Happy Hours scheme is designed to reward customers for reducing electricity consumption during peak times, helping to balance the national grid. The offer runs until October 31, 2026, giving customers several months to benefit from free weekend electricity by adjusting their weekday usage.
