EDF launches new product trials to save customers cash and carbon
- EDF to lead five new trial projects set to take place across the country
- Over 2000 customers will be invited to test out new tariffs and energy storage solutions
- Energy supplier to work with Indra, Brighton & Hove City Council, Loughborough University and the University of Sheffield on the trials
EDF has been selected to start work on five new trials exploring how solar solutions for social housing, incentivised demand flexibility as well as using electric vehicles and heat pumps for electric storage, can help a wide range of customers across the country save cash and carbon.
Over 2,000 customers will be invited to take part in the trials, with 1,000 participating in schemes to shift in consumption, including being rewarded with free electricity if they can reduce peak consumption during the week.
Working in partnership with Brighton & Hove City council, another group of EDF customers in social housing properties will have solar panels installed, with some provided with a storage solution. EDF technology will then assess if there is any excess electricity stored and will look to find the best price and sell it back to the grid, with that money passed onto the customer.
The two electric vehicle charging initiatives will include a tariff focused on flexibility, utilising automated controls of EV charging to provide the best value to customers. And an export tariff to see how customers utilise bi-directional charging, which allows the power stored in (EV) batteries to be directed back towards the home and, if they have excess, the grid.
A new heat pump tariff will also be tested, providing owners with advice and automation so they can maintain their homes at temperatures which suit them, whilst saving cash and carbon by avoiding high-cost peak hours.
The trials, that have been backed by £1.3m of funding by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero as part of the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP), will demonstrate the impact on consumers and the electricity grid based on conditions projected for 2030.
Created and developed by EDF’s Research and Development and Customer teams, each of the trials will last a number of months, the first recruitment of which begins in April.
Data will be generated, collected and analysed throughout the trials to analyse the impact on customer bills and their usage. There will also be customer research and interviews to gain vital insights on their feasibility moving forward.
EDF is joined on the project by four other partners:
- Indra Renewable Technologies, established innovators, manufacturers and developers of EV and smart energy technology solutions
- Brighton & Hove City Council who have robust net zero ambitions and are always exploring new ways to help their customers save money
- Loughborough University who are experts in people-centred design
- The University of Sheffield who will look at system level analysis and market trends
This is the second phase of the project, with the first a feasibility study which explored various propositions, with customer feedback highlighting the need for customers to be provided with personalised advice and flexible tariffs, both of which are the backbone of phase two.
Philippe Commaret, Managing Director of Customers at EDF, said: “It is imperative we continue to look at ways we can save customers cash and carbon and being part of a project which is providing five exciting trials to do just that is incredibly important and exciting.
“Electricity use is set to double by 2050 so it is crucial that we explore new ways we can reduce pressure on the grid and customers’ pockets. 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.”
The announcement comes after EDF recently showed once again it is making a big impact on the UK supply and flexibility market, revealing that this winter so far over 139,000 households had saved 23 tonnes of carbon through its demand flexibility scheme, ‘Beat the Peak’.
About EDF
EDF is driving the transition towards An Electric Britain – a secure, affordable, low-carbon future for everyone. As Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity, we are investing more than £100 million weekly in Britain’s electricity infrastructure. We supply millions of customers with electricity and help homes and businesses switch to electricity for heating, transport and industrial processes.
We operate five nuclear power stations and more than 35 onshore wind farms and three offshore wind farms. Since 2009, EDF has invested almost £9 billion in the nuclear fleet to improve reliability and extend station lifetimes. The five generating stations currently supply about 12% of the UK’s electricity demand.
EDF is building the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C. We are a minority investor (12.5%) in and major supplier to a replica plant at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes. EDF Group companies Framatome and Arabelle Solutions have a presence in the UK and manufacture critical equipment such as reactor pressure vessels and turbines.
EDF is enabling its 5 million customers, both in business and at home, to choose electric solutions that save cash and carbon, whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing solar panels or a heat pump. In 2025, EDF’s Customers business was ranked as one of the Sunday Times’s Best Place to Work.
It is also one of the UK’s leading developers of renewable energy through EDF power solutions UK and Ireland. We have more than 2GW of renewable generation in operation and over 10GW in construction, planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage.
We are one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Dalkia, is one of the UK and Ireland’s largest technical service providers.
About Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provides dedicated leadership focused on delivering security of energy supply, ensuring properly functioning markets, greater energy efficiency and seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries.
The funding from the Alternative Energy Markets Innovation Programme comes from the department’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio which provides funding for low-carbon technologies and systems and aims to decrease the costs of decarbonisation helping enable the UK to end its contribution to climate change.
Related articles
EDF reduces its fixed prices with new tariff matching April price cap
EDF sets out support for customers ahead of RTS switch-off in the South East
