Trials will look at ways to cut home energy use
RESEARCHERS SET TO EXAMINE WHICH APPROACHES WORK BEST
FIVE product trials focused on saving cash and carbon are set to run across the UK with the help of designers from Loughborough University.
The project, led by energy supplier EDF, will see more than 2,000 people testing new tariffs and energy solutions.
The trials, which will start recruiting in April and run for several months, encompass various initiatives:
■ 1,000 participants will take part in consumption-shifting schemes, potentially earning free electricity by reducing peak consumption during weekdays;
■ Social housing occupants will receive solar panels and storage, with potential excess electricity sold back to the grid and the money passed on to the occupants;
■ Two electric vehicle charging initiatives will be implemented, one investigating tariff flexibility and automated controls to optimise charging rates for participants;
The other will explore export tariffs and bi-directional charging, enabling the redirection of power stored in EV batteries back to the home and, if there is excess, the grid;
■ A new heat pump tariff will also be tested. It will provide participants with advice and automation so they can maintain their homes at temperatures which suit them, while saving cash and carbon by avoiding highcost peak hours.
Estimates suggest that electricity consumption in the UK will rise by 50 per cent by 2036 and double by 2050.
The project – supported by
£1.3 million in funding from the
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – aims to demonstrate the impact on consumers and the electricity grid based on conditions projected for 2030.
The trials will discern which products and services will reduce the country’s carbon footprint, bolster the grid amid rising demand, and offer savings to the public.
Loughborough researchers will gather insights from trial participants throughout the project.
Dr Tracy Ross, from the university, said: “All of the energy concepts will be new to the householders.
“Habits, lifestyle, attitudes, and the design of the information provided could all affect how the trial participants respond.
“Understanding these will help us to determine what works well and what needs to be changed if these interventions are to be used to maximum benefit in the future.”
Philippe Commaret, managing director of customers at EDF, said: “Trialling new tariffs and assets and giving customers greater control will be vital if we are to achieve our goal of reducing the need for fossil fuels and truly achieve net zero homes.”