CrowdFlex Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions (specific to CrowdFlex) and supplementary to the Power Move Flex T&Cs

1. About these Terms

These terms and conditions (the Terms) apply to Trial 3 of the CrowdFlex project (Trial 1, Trial 2, Trial 3, the Trial). Please read these Terms carefully. These Terms are in addition to, and do not replace, the ‘Power Move Flex’ (Power Move Flex) terms and conditions, Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime' (Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime) terms and conditions our Core Energy Supply Terms and Conditions (Core Terms) or any other terms which may apply to your OVO plan. 

All defined terms in the Core Terms will have the same meaning when used in these terms, unless otherwise stated.

Trial 1 ended in July 2024. Trial 2 ended in April 2025. Trial 3 will run from July 2025 to October 2025. By signing up to Trial 3 you agree to be bound by these Terms. 

2. About CrowdFlex

2.1 OVO is taking part in CrowdFlex, an OFGEM funded project, running a series of trials from May 2024 until December 2025. The trials are aimed at understanding how households can contribute to a greener electricity grid (CrowdFlex). The learnings we gather from being part of these trials will be essential for the Electricity System Operator to plan for the future of the electricity grid, and how our customers can play a role in this. Trial 1 and Trial 2 were the first of these trials, and was run in collaboration with third parties including the Electricity Systems Operator (ESO), Southern Electric Power Distribution, Centre for Net Zero, Centre for Sustainable Energy, ERM (Environmental Resources Management), Amazon Web Services, Octopus Energy, Ohme Operations UK, National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West), and Smith Institute.

Trial 3 is the third part of these trials, and is run in collaboration with third parties including the Electricity Systems Operator (ESO), Southern Electric Power Distribution, Centre for Net Zero, Centre for Sustainable Energy, ERM (Environmental Resources Management), Amazon Web Services, Ohme Operations UK, National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West), and Smith Institute.

3. About Trial 3

3.1 Trial 3 will run from July 2025 to October 2025 (the Trial Period) and will involve eligible customers selected for the Trial signing up to Power Move Flex or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime. 

Power Move Flex rewards customers for simply shifting non-essential electricity usage out of times when demand is higher, or into times when demand is lower. 

Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime rewards customers for plugging in their EV to their EV charger, to be used to help provide flexibility to the grid. 

Power Move Flex Events

3.2 Power Move Flex Power Up and Power Down events are decided by the ESO rather than by OVO. We’ll let you know by email up to 48 hours before an event is due to take place. As the events are controlled by ESO we’re unable to confirm the number of events or the reward value of these events in advance. Please note that you’re automatically entered into every event as deemed appropriate by OVO and ESO, but you have a choice to not take part in it.  

3.3 If you successfully move your electricity use above or below the event baseline outlined in the event notification, as part of a Power Up or Power Down event, then you may be rewarded with credit to your bill. [Please see Section 5 for more details.]

3.4 For Power Up and Power Down events, here’s how we measure energy shifted during an event:

Normal usage baseline - 

  • For working days (Mon - Fri excluding bank holidays) – your baseline is calculated using the half hourly electricity usage data taken from your smart meter over the last 10 working days before an event. You’ll need to have at least 5 working days worth of data for a target to be calculated. 
  • For non-working days (Saturday, Sunday & bank holidays) – your baseline is calculated using the half hourly electricity usage data taken from your smart meter over the last 4 non-working days. You’ll need to have at least 4 non-working days worth of data for a target to be calculated. 

Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime

3.5 For Charge Anytime customers on Power Move Flex, you are rewarded for the time your EV is spent connected to your EV charger and optimised through Charge Anytime.

3.6 We’ll optimise your charging in line with Power Up and Power Down events, and your vehicle will have the required quantity of energy at the ready-by-time you set.

3.7 If you successfully plug in your EV to your charger, you may be rewarded with bill credit. But you won’t be paid for the electricity shifted above or below what you’d usually use, if your charging is optimised in line with Power Up and Power Down events.

How can I join the Trial?

3.8 Entry to Trial 3 will be by email invitation. 

For Power Move Flex you may be able to sign up if you are eligible and have OVO Beyond, through the offers section in the app.

For Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime customers, you may also be able to sign up through the Charge Anytime app. 

You may also get a notification to join, or be auto-enrolled from Trial 2. We’ll be inviting eligible customers to sign up from May 2025. If you have been auto-enrolled you will have been contacted by us via email at the end of Trial 2, if you don’t wish to take part you can opt out through that email.

Please note that places are limited to:

  • 100,000 for Power Move Flex events
  • 10,000 for Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime

Signing up doesn’t guarantee you’ll be accepted onto the Trial. When you sign up you’ll be added to a waitlist and we’ll be randomly selecting customers to join the Trial. You’ll get an email from us to confirm if you’ve been added to the Trial.

3.9 A control group will also be selected randomly from the waitlist and you’ll be notified by email if you’re in this group. The control group helps in improving understanding of baseline consumer behaviours. While you won’t participate in the Trial, or get event notifications during the Trial, if you’re in this group, your smart meter and survey response data will be shared in accordance with CrowdFlex data sharing terms and our just in time notice.

4. Eligibility

4.1 In order to be eligible for Trial 3 and Power Move Flex you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

  • have a communicating electricity smart meter 
  • your smart meter can be credit or Pay As You Go
  • have a smart meter that is single rate (meaning you only pay a single, flat rate for your electricity) or economy-7 
  • opt in to half-hourly meter readings
  • have an active email address
  • have OVO as your energy provider
  • follow with these Terms and the Core Terms

4.2 To be eligible for Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime, you must meet the following criteria:

  • have the OVO Charge Anytime add on and manage your smart charging through the Charge Anytime app
  • have a communicating electricity smart meter that is a credit meter
  • have a smart meter that is single rate (meaning you only pay a single, flat rate for your electricity) or economy-7 
  • opt in to half-hourly meter readings
  • have an active email address
  • have OVO as your energy provider
  • follow with these Terms and the Core Terms, and Charge Anytime Terms

4.3 Unfortunately there may be some types of credit and single rate smart meters that won’t work with Power Move Flex. If you have an ineligible meter you won’t be able to join.

4.4 Unfortunately there may be some types of EV Charger that won’t work with Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime. If you have an ineligible charger you won’t be able to join.

4.5 If at any time you fail to meet the Eligibility Criteria, including no longer opting in to get emails about Power Move Flex or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime, email marketing consent or half-hourly meter readings, then we reserve the right to end your participation in Power Move Flex and you won’t get any Power Move Flex credit.

4.6 If at any time you don’t meet the Eligibility Criteria, including no longer opting in to half-hourly meter readings, then we reserve the right to terminate your participation in any CrowdFlex trial. And you won’t get any further CrowdFlex related energy credit.

Opting out of Power Move Flex events

4.7 Customers who wish to take part in a Power Move Flex event must opt into each individual event. They can do this through the event notification email.

4.8 You won’t be able to opt out of a specific event, instead you’d have to opt out of the Trial (see Section 6). There’s no obligation for you to take part in every event, and there’s no penalty for not taking part.  

5. Reward 

Power Move Flex Power Up and Power Down events

5.1 As this is a trial, we’ll be testing different incentives depending on the group you are randomly assigned to at the start of the trial. 

Trial participants will get different incentives dependent on your group allocation. Participants will be split into up to 5 main groups, each of which will be set a different reward mechanism for Power Move Flex events. You’ll stay in the same group for the duration of the trial. You can find out more about reward groups in the Power Move Flex terms and conditions.

There’ll also be a control group who won’t be participating in the Trial or be able to earn bill credit. We’ll let you know by email if you’re in the control group.

Your total reward will depend on how much electricity you can move above or below the event baselines, how many events you take part in (depending on the event type) and the price or reward set per event.

We can’t guarantee that you’ll earn credit or rewards for each event. 

Some customers may not earn any bill credit (for example if you’re in the control group, or don’t participate in enough events each week. We’ll let you know what group you’re in, and your reward value will be in your Power Flex event email. 

5.2 If you’re on a credit meter, the reward is applied as credit directly to your bill. You’ll be credited each month with the sum of all rewards earned in the previous month. For example, for any rewards earned in July, you’ll get energy credit in August. 

5.3 If you’re on a pay as you go meter, the reward is applied as credit directly to your meter. You’ll be credited each month with the sum of all rewards earned in the previous month. For example, for any rewards earned in July, you’ll get energy credit in August. 

Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime

5.4 As Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime is part of the CrowdFlex trial, we’re testing multiple ways a customer can earn rewards for helping manage demand on the grid.

5.5 Your total reward will depend on the reward group you are randomly placed into and how many plug in sessions you complete during the week.

5.6 Before the trial begins, you will be randomly placed into a trial group. Your trial group determines how you will be rewarded. 

5.7 Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime customers will be paid based on the number of plug in sessions you complete per week. 

5.8 A session is defined by:

  • Being plugged in for 6 hours, continually
  • Our session counter runs from midday to midday

5.9 You can only record 1 session in the same 24 hour period towards a Power Move Flex reward. Multiple sessions in the same cycle will not be counted as additional and only the first session will be counted.

5.10 Some customers may be asked to move their ready-by-time to help support the grid at times of extreme demand. By extending your ready-by-time, you’re giving OVO more time to optimise the charging of your vehicle and avoid potential higher demand periods. You may be able to earn a reward for doing so, and we’ll let you know in the email we send you asking if you can, to extend your ready-by-time

5.11 The reward is applied as credit directly to your bill. You’ll be credited each month with the sum of all rewards earned in the previous month. For example, for any rewards earned in July, you’ll get energy credit in August. 

General Reward Terms

5.12 The reward is being funded by ESO, with OVO passing through the payment to you. The level of reward for each event is also set by ESO.

5.13 If you pay by Direct Debit, the Direct Debit amount you pay per month won’t change, the energy credit will show as a separate line item on your bill.

5.14 If your account has a negative balance, any reward paid will be used to pay off what’s owed.

5.15 There’s no cash alternative to the reward and you won’t be able to withdraw the credit from your energy account to your bank account. 

5.16 There’s no guarantee that you’ll earn a minimum reward amount from taking part in Trial 3 and Power Move Flex or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime.

6. Ending your participation in CrowdFlex

If you want to leave the CrowdFlex trial

6.1 You can exit the Trial at any time by pressing the unsubscribe button at the bottom of any Power Move Flex or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime email you've received. This may take up to 48 hours to complete. Your opt out won’t be recorded until you’ve picked an option of continuing to share your data with the project, or to stop sharing all data with the project.

6.2 By exiting the Trial, you’ll have a choice of whether your data is removed from the project in accordance with the CrowdFlex data sharing terms and our just in time notice, or if you’re happy with your data being shared during the remaining project period to help with the research.

6.3 If you opt out of the trial, you’ll get a survey asking you about your experience of the Trial. 

6.4 We’ll keep your smart meter read history, MPAN, electricity rates, CrowdFlex payment history and all communications including survey responses collected until the date of your exit, to fulfil our obligations as part of the project. We’ll retain your personal details as part of the CrowdFlex project until you request to delete it. We’re unable to delete any data relating to your personal account.

6.5 We’re unable to remove any collected data that’s already been shared with the project partners.

If you switch away

6.6 You’re free to switch away at any time (unless you owe us money, in which case we may stop your switch until the money is paid). If you switch away at any point when you’re signed up to Power Move Flex or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime, you won’t get any Power Move Flex or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime credit accrued from the last time you were credited up to and including your switch date. You’ll find further information about switching away from OVO in our Core Terms.

If you move home

6.7 If you move home during the trial, we won’t be able to sign you back up to the CrowdFlex trial.

When we can terminate your participation in the Trial 

6.8 If you don’t comply with these Terms or our Core Terms, including where you don’t pay your bills or if you no longer meet any of our Eligibility Criteria, we reserve the right to end your participation in the Trial (and therefore Power Move Flex or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime). This would happen with immediate effect and you’ll no longer be eligible to get the energy credit for any Power Up and Power Down events you take part in.

7. Contacting Us 

7.1 If you have any questions about the Trial or CrowdFlex, please get in touch with us via webchat.

8. Contacting You

8.1 By signing up to the Trial, you’re agreeing to receive communications in relation to these events for the entirety of the time you’re opted in. It’s your responsibility to make sure your email address and mobile number are kept up to date in order to receive our emails. If you need to change your email address or mobile number, you can do this in your online account.

8.2 As part of this Trial, we’ll share your data with the ESO and other trusted third parties involved in the project, as per clause 9 and our just in time notice. All collected and anonymised data will be stored by ESO, which may be shared with third parties in future. For more information please see ESO’s privacy policy.

8.3 We may share your contact details (name and email address) with our trusted third-party research agency partners, as mentioned in our Privacy Policy. This is so they can contact you for feedback on your experience of Power Move Flex or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime . This includes third parties as part of the CrowdFlex project partners. Your data won’t be used for marketing purposes unless you’ve opted in to receive marketing from us. ESO's privacy policy and OVO's Just in Time Notice

9. Data sharing; what data we collect and how we use it

9.1 By signing up for the Trial 3, you agree to:

  • Allow OVO to share your anonymised data (postcode, your smart meter read history, MPAN, CrowdFlex payment history, electricity rates, EV plug-in data and all communications including survey responses) with the project partners mentioned in the just in time notice, energy regulator OFGEM and project auditors
  • Allow OVO to share your data (postcode, your email address, electricity rates, electricity MPAN and OVO ID) with Kaluza if you’re a Charge Anytime customer. This is to notify them that you’re a Charge Anytime customer and to allow them to provide smart charging services; 
  • Allow OVO to share your data (MPAN, name, email address) with Ohme (if you’re a Charge Anytime customer)

Please see our just in time notice for more details.

10. General 

10.1 We won’t be liable for any loss or damage you may suffer as a result of your participation in Power Move Flex events or Power Move Flex for Charge Anytime, where such loss or damage cannot be excluded by law. 

10.2 These Terms are governed by English Law and any dispute arising in relation to these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.