Energy used to help out consumers

MOVES to help consumers use energy when it is cheapest and receive money for returning power to the grid have been unveiled by the Government.

The plans include measures to help develop smart appliances which respond to the grid, for example washing machines that come on at off-peak times when power is cheaper.

They set out how Government, regulator Ofgem and the industry are rolling out smart meters and will bring in “smart tariffs” for consumers to pay less for off-peak power.

And they outline plans for standards for electric vehicle charging points so consumers can charge their cars when demand is low and be paid for feeding power from cars back to the grid.

As storing power from intermittent renewables for when it is needed becomes more important, the measures also include changes to network charges to provide a level playing field for storage such as batteries.

Analysis suggests that deploying “flexible technologies” including batteries and smart grids could save the UK energy system between £17 billion and £40 billion by 2050.

Examples of new technological developments which are already being trialled include Nissan looking at ways electric vehicles can be used as a “virtual power plant” when plugged in to supply the grid.

British company Moixa is paying households £50 a year for deploying home batteries, which help manage electricity demand on the network by charging up when there is surplus power on the grid and exporting it when demand is high.

A trial with Northern Powergrid near Barnsley is linking up 40 home batteries supplied by Moixa, to relieve pressure on the power network and enable more homes to install solar panels without having to upgrade local networks.