Skip to main navigation About us Stories Responsibility COP26 Careers Media Investors Contact us Voices for a Green Future Fully Charged Voice of All Power of All EV road trip (US) WhenToPlugIn app Voice assistant skill WhenToPlugIn: your carbon intensity app Our new app tells you the best times of day to ‘plug in’, so you can make smarter energy choices at home; saving those energy intensive tasks for when they’ll have the least impact on the planet. Breadcrumb Back to home What is the WhenToPlugIn app? Our WhenToPlugIn app is a handy tool for your mobile phone that helps you make smarter energy choices at home. It's powered by carbonintensity.org.uk, the same carbon intensity forecasting tool built by National Grid ESO, The Environmental Defense Fund Europe, The University of Oxford and WWF that powers the Green Light Signal. The WhenToPlugIn app shows you the live carbon intensity forecast and lets you know when the electricity in your home will be cleanest over the next 48 hours to help you plan your electricity usage. The app also offers a full breakdown of the energy sources powering the electricity in your region and provides live updates as new clean energy records are broken too! Download the app now The WhenToPlugIn app is optimised for iOS 14+ and Android 11+ systems, on models from iPhone X+ (iOS) and Google Pixel 4+ (Android). What is carbon intensity? Carbon intensity is a measure of CO2 emissions per unit of electricity consumed. When it's low or very low it suggests that renewable and/or nuclear energy is playing a key role in the energy mix that powers your home. This is happening more as the electricity system is transformed: In the last seven years we have decarbonised Great Britain’s electricity system by 66%, connecting people to more green and clean energy sources. The WhenToPlugIn app uses carbon intensity to determine the best times to use energy, based on your location – meaning the power coming into your home is predicted to be cleaner at that time compared to other times. How do I download the WhenToPlugIn app to my mobile phone? Simply head to your app store of choice and search for the WhenToPlugIn app. Then follow the prompts to download the app on to your phone. Once downloaded, head into the app to get started and follow the steps below. On your mobile phone, head to your app store of choice to download the app and follow the prompts to install (The WhenToPlugIn app is optimised for iOS 14+ and Android 11+ systems, on models from iPhone X+ (iOS) and Google Pixel 4+ (Android). ). Once in the app, read through the on-boarding information, then enter your postcode to access the carbon intensity data in your region. Once set up, the app will be able to provide you with lots of useful information including the carbon emission intensity in your area and also your next best window of opportunity to use low-carbon energy sources. If the current carbon intensity is high, you can set a reminder in the app to alert you to a time where the carbon intensity rating will be lower - meaning you can use electricity from power sources that emits less carbon dioxide which is better for the planet. High energy inspiration Want to feel positive about the energy you’re using? Here are some fun ideas about what you can do when your app tells you that you have the green light to plug in. How about... Stream: Stream a film or play a game online. Cook: Turn up the heat on your electric hob and cook up a storm. Heat: Feel good that your kettle or electric boiler is heating up with clean energy. Clean: Can you get all your laundry, tumble drying and vacuuming done before the carbon intensity changes? Create: Make music, movies, social filters, or digital art whilst the carbon intensity is low. Charge: Plug in your electric vehicle. Because together we can reach net zero. #PowerOfAll #WhenToPlugIn Get the National Grid digital voice assistant skill Our smart skill for your favourite digital voice assistant tells you the best times of day to ‘plug in’, and provides live updates about your local electricity mix so you can make smarter energy choices at home. Discover the voice assistant skill Frequently Asked Questions What will the app tell me? What is zero carbon energy? How does the carbon intensity forecast work? What are the factors that impact carbon intensity and the amount of zero carbon energy sources in my local or national mix? Won’t the app just tell me to plug in in the middle of the night and use off peak electricity hours? Will it make a difference if I plug in when the app tells me to? If everyone used electricity when the National Grid app said to plug in, what impact could that have? © National Grid 2021 Connect with us Contact us Media contacts Work for us Careers UK Careers US About us National Grid Ventures National Grid Partners Our policies Terms and conditions Privacy policy Modern slavery statement Accessibility statement Cookie policy Stories Journey to net zero Engineering innovation Grid at work Community spirit Energy explained More from National Grid Investors Suppliers Pay your bill (US only) Cookie consent This website uses cookies that help the website functions and to track how you interact with it so that we can provide you with improved and customized user experience. We will only use the cookies if you consent to it by clicking on Accept. Manage preferencesReject AllAccept