How does demand turn-up work?
Demand turn-up means increasing your electricity use when there is surplus power on the grid, usually when wind output is high and the network is congested. In Great Britain, NESO pays for it through its Demand Flexibility Service and Local Constraint Market, and flexible sites can also earn through the Balancing Mechanism and wholesale markets.
What is demand turn-up?
Demand turn-up is the opposite of the more familiar demand turn-down, where sites are paid to use less power at busy times. With turn-up, a site moves some of its electricity use into a period when there is surplus power, such as when wind farms behind a grid constraint would otherwise be switched off.
The site doesn't need to use more energy overall. Usually it simply uses energy earlier or later than it would have done: pre-cooling a cold store, charging a vehicle fleet or running pumps while wind power is plentiful.
Why does the grid pay you to use more electricity?
Because it's often cheaper than the alternative. When the network can't carry Scottish wind power south, NESO pays wind farms to reduce their output and pays other generators, mostly gas plants, to replace it. If a site behind the constraint uses that power instead, less wind needs to be curtailed and less replacement generation is needed.
Which markets pay for demand turn-up?
In Great Britain there are three main routes, and a flexible site can use more than one of them.
| Route | What it buys | Who can take part |
|---|---|---|
| NESO Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) | Demand turn-up and turn-down, bought by zone. Turn-up was added on 9 April 2026. Source 1 | Units from 0.1 MW, through a DFS provider such as a supplier or aggregator. Source 1 |
| NESO Local Constraint Market (LCM) | Extra demand behind the Scottish boundaries, a day ahead and within the day. Source 2 | Sites in the eligible area, through a registered provider. |
| Balancing Mechanism and wholesale markets | Bids and offers to change demand, and wholesale trades. | Sites grouped together by a Virtual Lead Party. Source 3 |
The Demand Flexibility Service has been an all-year, in-merit service since 27 November 2024. That means NESO uses it whenever it's cheaper than the alternatives, not only in emergencies.Source 1 Turn-up was added in April 2026 with Ofgem's approval.Source 4
The Local Constraint Market is growing quickly: provider participation grew sevenfold from the first to the second quarter of 2025.Source 2
Since BSC modification P415 took effect in November 2024, Virtual Lead Parties can also trade aggregated flexibility in the wholesale electricity market.Source 3
Which sites are suitable for demand turn-up?
The best sites can move electricity use in time without affecting what they do, and can respond reliably when asked. That usually means they have some form of storage, such as thermal mass, a battery or a vehicle that doesn't need charging at a particular time.
Good examples include:
- cold stores and food distribution centres, which can pre-cool within safe temperature limits
- EV fleet depots, where charging can shift as long as vehicles are ready on time
- water and wastewater sites, with pumping, storage tanks and aeration
- distilleries, breweries and food production, with heating, cooling and process loads
- buildings with heat pumps, electric boilers or hot water stores
- sites with on-site batteries
Location matters. Sites behind the Scottish boundaries, where most curtailment happens, have access to more turn-up opportunities, including the Local Constraint Market.Source 2
What do you need to take part?
- Controllable demand. Equipment you can adjust automatically or on instruction, within safe limits.
- Suitable metering. Half-hourly metering for the site, and sometimes separate metering for the assets providing flexibility.
- A provider. Most sites take part through a supplier, aggregator or Virtual Lead Party that registers the flexibility and handles bidding and settlement.
- A baseline. An agreed estimate of what the site would have used without the instruction, so the turn-up can be measured.
How are you paid, and what are the risks?
Payments are usually based on the energy you shift, in megawatt hours, compared with your baseline. The price depends on the service and on the bids that are accepted.
The main risks are operational. If a site can't deliver when asked, it may earn less, depending on the service's rules, and poorly managed turn-up could interfere with operations. That's why clear limits, approvals and good forecasting matter.
How does Nodal Shift help?
Nodal Shift Turn-Up is designed to handle demand turn-up for you: forecasting constraint events, scheduling extra demand within the limits you set, registering your flexibility with the right NESO services and reporting on every event.