Opportunities for Community groups Through Energy Storage (OCTES)

OCTES is a new European Union project with the aim of helping people living in remote communities to save money on their energy bills by encouraging them to use their electricity intelligently.

Electricity prices vary constantly during the day and night, depending on demand and supply, the time of year and the prevailing weather conditions. Generally, prices are highest during the day and are lowest at night. At present, most people do not know what the current price of electricity is before they turn on an electrical item in their house.

To help inform people living in remote communities of the current price of electricity, we at OCTES are undertaking a trial study by installing “SMART” meters in people’s houses which will continuously display the current price of electricity at that time. So, instead of simply turning on a washing machine, vacuum cleaner or recharging an electronic device at anytime of the day, participants will be prompted to look at the current price of electricity before deciding whether to use/recharge that particular electrical item there and then.

The overall objective of OCTES is to increase the viability of renewable energy solutions in the northern peripheral regions of Europe, by influencing consumer behaviour.