Inclusive for all: making it easier for people to use energy flexibly
The UK was the first country to commit to reducing its carbon emissions to net zero and the benefits of achieving this aim are widely known. But moving to a net zero energy system will be challenging and costly. Using the energy in our homes in a more flexible way will help to keep those overall costs down in both the system and at home.
What is energy flexibility and how does it help?
Energy flexibility is when households, with a working smart meter, shift their electricity use to “off peak” times of the day when there is less demand for energy and so it tends to be cheaper. Smart products, such as smart plugs, can be set up via an app to automatically respond to price signals, making it easier for people to use energy flexibly. They can “set and forget” and the appliances will turn on and off according to their routine preferences and the best times to save energy and money.
Households able to use energy flexibly can have greater control over their energy bills. They can access cheaper energy tariffs and take part in energy flexibility schemes that offer money off bills for using electricity at different times.
If more households start using electricity flexibly, at times when there’s more renewable power, it will make the grid more efficient to run. This will lower carbon emissions and the cost of energy. But we are a long way from reaching the level of participation necessary to make a meaningful contribution to net zero and lower bills. National Grid ESO estimates 3.7 million households will need to regularly provide flexibility at peak demand by 2035.
What would make it easier for households?
In recent research, we spoke to people in a range of different circumstances that we know often lead to worse experiences of the energy market. We listened to disabled people, people with additional language needs and those who are digitally excluded about their views on using energy flexibly.
We found that, once the overall concept and the benefits of flexible energy were explained, people were open to it. But speaking to them identified several barriers, from worries about choosing the right tariff to actually using the supporting technologies such as thermostats. They didn’t feel their needs had been properly considered in the design of flexible energy products and services.
Lisa* is registered blind. She told us she was interested in participating with smart energy but she has concerns about the availability of smart energy technology that is compatible with her screen reader and text to speech software.
To get a better understanding of what would make smart products more accessible we asked some people to see how easily they could set up and use a “dummy smart thermostat” in their own homes. They told us what worked well and what could be improved to make it easier for them.
We have shared what they told us in our guide to make smart energy technology more inclusive and created an interactive tool that shares people’s stories and the changes they need.
Our research shows the value of inclusive usability testing and that more needs to be done to make sure flexible energy products and flexibility services are designed in an accessible way.
Case study : the flexibility service experience
The evaluation of last winter’s landmark Demand Flexibility Service (DFS), run by National Grid’s ESO, showed people with a physical or mental health condition or illness had a worse experience of using the service. They:
- found it harder to respond to messages about changing energy use,
- engaged with fewer flexibility events and
- received lower financial rewards
This led to a lower satisfaction rating and a lower intention to participate again with demand flexibility, compared with other people.
The gap in experiences is concerning and we’ll look closely at the evaluation findings from this winter’s DFS to see if this has improved. We’re also worried that ESO hasn’t required providers to follow the HOMEflex code of conduct, which sets out good standards of inclusive design and accessibility, and providers don’t have to take part in this year’s evaluation of the DFS, meaning fewer lessons can be learnt as we will not know the full range of experiences from across the participating consumer base.
Case study : Electric vehicles — gateway to flexibility or accessibility roadblock ?
Many of the emerging tariffs that reward flexible energy are for people with electric vehicles and a domestic chargepoint.
Disabled people claiming certain benefits (such as the higher element of PIP) can access an electric vehicle through the Motability scheme, making use of an accessible electric vehicle more affordable.
The more disabled people can access and have good experiences of driving electric and using chargepoints, the more they can access cheaper electricity through flexible tariffs.
There are currently voluntary accessibility standards for public chargepoints and the recently launched chargepoint accessibility schemes to give disabled people more confidence using public charge points, but gaps remain. We want the standards to be extended to include non-physical app interfaces or payment processes and for domestic chargepoints.
A flexible future with inclusivity at its core
No-one should have to use their energy flexibly in order to afford their energy bills, so we see targeted financial help as vital in some circumstances. For example, for people on low incomes with a health-related need for energy that prevents them from shifting their energy use.
But those who do want to participate in flexible energy must also be supported if they face additional barriers. Building a market for energy flexibility with fairness and inclusion at its core from the outset will not only help people to lower their energy bills and cope with the cost of living, it will help companies to reach a wider range of customers and make their products and services more financially viable and scalable.
What needs to happen
We need dedicated funding for projects that aim to tackle barriers and achieve more diverse participation in energy flexibility. This should include a review of existing innovation funding arrangements. In addition, progress on inclusive innovation should be supported through the development of industry standards for designing accessible products and services.
Energy flexibility can only play a meaningful role in the net zero transition if the government has a clear plan to help more people participate. Inclusive innovation must be an outcome of this plan. The availability of inclusively designed flexible energy products and services is key to delivering our targets on net zero.
* Story is from research conducted by Collaborate Research on behalf of Citizens Advice. Name has been anonymised.
