Before You Sign Up


 

What are the CoolDown summer trials?

CoolDown is a summer energy trial where households with air conditioning or cooling heat pumps can earn rewards for reducing electricity use during short peak-time events. The trial is run by equiwatt as part of an Ofgem-funded innovation project.
 

Who can take part?

You may be eligible if you:

  • Are aged 18 or over
  • Live in an eligible postcode area (North West for the 2026 trial)
  • Have a working smart electricity meter (with half-hourly smart meter readings)
  • Own and use air conditioning or a cooling heat pump
  • Agree to equiwatt’s terms and conditions

Eligibility is checked during sign-up.
 

How do I sign up?

New customers:

Eligible households can sign up by downloading the equiwatt app from App Stores and registering their cooling devices. You will then be invited to participate by equiwatt.

Existing customers:

For existing equiwatt app users, equiwatt will invite households in the eligible trial area to express interest and register their cooling devices.

Look out for emails and in-app notifications inviting you to participate.
 

Am I in the trial area?

SP Electricity North West licence areas map

The trial area includes postcodes in: Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Peak region and some surrounding areas. To be eligible for the Summer 2026 trial, your home must be in the SP Electricity North West (SP ENW) distribution network area. You can check which distribution network area you live in via the National Grid website:

Which Distribution area do I live in?

Alternatively, use the postcode lookup on the SP Electricity North West website:

Who is my supplier?

This link confirms your energy supplier if you live in the relevant SP ENW trial area.

If you do not live in the trial area you will be notified as follows: “We are not responsible for/do not operate the electricity network in your area.”


 

What cooling equipment is eligible?

The trials only include devices that lower or control indoor temperature. You can participate if you use:

  • Whole-home central air conditioning
  • A heat pump that provides cooling
  • Fixed wall-mounted air conditioning units
  • Portable air conditioning units that vent hot air outside

Devices that only circulate air, such as desk fans or ceiling fans, are not eligible.
 

When will the trials take place?

The trials will run over the summer:

  • Trial 1: May to September 2026 open to households in SP Electricity North West’s (SP ENW) licence area
  • Trial 2: May to September 2027 subject to Ofgem approval a second trial will expand the eligible area to include SP Electricity North West’s (SP ENW) and National Grid Electricity Distribution’s (NGED) licence areas
     

Will taking part change my energy tariff?

No. The CoolDown trial is separate from your energy supply contract and does not change your tariff or energy supplier.
 

Is there any cost to join?

No. Participation in the CoolDown trial is completely free.
 

How much can I earn?

You could earn £85 in rewards

  • £15 sign up bonus on first event participation
  • £30 for energy saved from reducing cooling – this is an average based on typical household air conditioning systems
  • £40 in survey and research bonus points

Rewards depend on how much electricity you save during events and how many surveys you complete. You may earn more or less points for energy saving, depending on your household size, historic baseline and air conditioning devices used.

Rewards are paid as equiwatt app points that can be redeemed for vouchers. There is also a cashback feature available at the end of the trial for any unredeemed points.
 

How many people can join?

The first phase of the trial will include up to 100 households with relevant cooling devices in the SP Electricity North West licence area.
 

After You Sign Up


 

What happens after I register?

Once you sign up:

  1. We’ll confirm your eligibility.
  2. You’ll complete a short trial start survey.
  3. You’ll receive information about how events work and how to participate including the CoolDown Terms and Conditions.
     

Will I need to install any equipment?

In most cases, no. We use data from your smart meter to measure electricity use. In some cases we may ask permission to install additional monitoring equipment.
 

Will you use my personal data?

To run the trials, equiwatt will use:

  • Smart meter electricity data
  • Basic information about your cooling devices
  • Asset metering data (only relevant to a small number of homes)

All data will be handled in line with equiwatt’s privacy policy.

Some data will be shared with the project manager Guidehouse and with project partners in anonymised form for research and reporting.
 

Will I need to complete surveys?

Yes. Because this is a research trial, participants may be asked to complete:

  • An eligibility survey
  • A trial start survey
  • Short post-event surveys
  • An end-of-trial survey

Some households may also be invited to take part in interviews or focus groups.
 

What happens if I move house?

Eligibility is based on your postcode. If you move outside the eligible area, you will no longer be able to participate or earn CoolDown rewards.
 

During the Trial


 

How do CoolDown events work?

During the summer, equiwatt may run up to 20 events. Events typically:

  • Last 1 or 2 hours
  • Take place weekdays between 6pm and 8pm
  • Operate during May to September 2026

During an event, participants are encouraged to reduce electricity use from their cooling devices where possible.
 

Do I have to take part in every event?

No. Participation is completely voluntary. You can choose whether to participate in each event.
 

How will I know when an event is happening?

Users will be notified of the event day and time via the equiwatt app notifications. Normally the event notification will be in the morning and the event takes place the same evening. It is advised that users allow notifications from the equiwatt app.
 

What do I do when I receive an event notification?

  • Opt in to the event on the equiwatt app home screen - a popup will appear asking you to opt in
  • Reminders will be sent if you haven’t responded
  • At the start of the event you are encouraged to reduce electricity use from your cooling devices where possible only.
  • Please do not turn off any other devices unless you normally would, such as lighting, large kitchen appliances (e.g. oven, washer, dryer, microwave), EV charging or battery export
     

How do I reduce my cooling energy use?

  • You reduce your energy use by turning off your Air Conditioning unit or by increasing the temperature of your heat pump.
     

How are my energy savings calculated?

Your electricity use during an event is compared to your historical baseline, calculated using the average of the previous 10 similar non-event days.

If you use less electricity than expected during the event window, you earn rewards.
 

How is successful participation measured?

Your participation is measured using your smart meter data. You are considered to have successfully taken part in an event if you use less electricity than your normal forecast during the event window.
 

Will my comfort be affected?

You are always in control. The trials are designed to be flexible, and you decide how and when you adjust your cooling use. You can stop participating in any event if needed and there is no penalty for not participating.

However, if you turn on your cooling device and increase energy use partway through an event, you may earn lower rewards.

In all cases, you can continue to earn rewards by responding to surveys such as those immediately after the event. We are keen to know reasons why you take part in events and also why you decide not to. This helps us understand factors such as comfort, event length or convenience to make future programmes more valued and accessible.
 

How do I earn points during an event?

Event points awarded are based on the amount of energy you save:

  • Earnings are calculated if you beat your forecast.
  • Achieve this by switching off your air cooling devices to save more energy than forecast during the event period
  • Energy savings are measured by kWh saved per event
  • The CoolDown reward is calculated as £3 per kWh saved

Actual earnings may vary depending on your household’s energy use and performance during each event.
 

How do I receive rewards?

Rewards will be issued through equiwatt in line with the programme terms and conditions. Full details will be shared with participants when they sign up.

Rewards are issued as equiwatt app points:

  • 100 points = £1
  • Points can be redeemed in the equiwatt Gift Store at any point during the trial
  • Minimum voucher redemption is £5
     

What if I have unused points?

At the end of the CoolDown project term any unused points can be reimbursed to users in the form of vouchers (subject to minimum voucher size) or bank transfer.

  • Equiwatt will communicate to users with instructions to redeem their points at the end of the project term
  • If users fail to redeem or provide reimbursement details, then the points equivalent value in GBP will be returned to Ofgem
  • Project term ends April 2028 subject to Ofgem approval
     

What if my smart meter data is missing?

If smart meter data is unavailable or incomplete, we may not be able to calculate your savings and rewards for that event.
 

Can I leave the trial?

Yes. You can withdraw from the trial at any time by contacting equiwatt through the app or support email. Please allow up to 14 business days for withdrawal to be processed.
 

What happens if I stop meeting the eligibility requirements?

You may be removed from the trial if:

  • You withdraw consent for half-hourly meter readings
  • Your smart meter stops sending data for 30 days or more
  • You stop using eligible cooling equipment
  • You move outside the eligible postcode area
  • You breach the CoolDown terms and conditions
     

Need More Help?

If you have questions about the CoolDown trial, you can contact the equiwatt support team through the app or the equiwatt Help Centre.