EDF joins research to help thousands save more cash and carbon through flexibility schemes

EDF is part of a new government-backed project looking at innovative ways to reduce customer bills and their impact on the environment. 

Working alongside smart energy system manufacturer, Landis + Gyr, research consultancy LCP Delta and by tapping into expertise from EDF’s Customer business, EDF’s Research and Development team will look at new customer solutions to maximise opportunities to absorb and store energy when there is an excess.

The partnership will look at how the use of new low carbon technologies such as heat pumps, storage products and electric vehicles could be supported by bespoke tariffs, further reducing pressure on the grid, as well as household bills, in both the short-term and in the future as part of potential alternative energy market (AEM) scenarios of a future energy system.

This project has received funding from the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which provides funding for low-carbon technologies and systems.

Phase One of the project has just started and is a six-month feasibility study which includes looking at how lower-income households could participate in such schemes.

As part of government ECO schemes, EDF has previously led the way in delivering insulation to all across the country. It invested £20m in energy efficiency measures for those in fuel poverty, installing over 23,000 energy efficient measures for struggling households last year.

EDF has already made big strides in the UK supply and flexibility market and its customers have already shown their willingness to help make a difference to the environment, with on average 21,000 actively taking part in its demand flex scheme, which encourages customers to cut their electricity use at peak times when energy supplies are low.

Stuart Fenner, Director of WMS Commercial from EDF Customers, said: “Reducing both our and our customer’s environmental impact aligns with our purpose of Helping Britain achieve net Zero, and with OFGEM’s price cap due to remain higher than pre-energy crisis levels we are doing all we can to reduce customer bills.

“With a recent flexibility study carried out by National Grid finding that active households responding to price signals could help reduce peak energy demand by 23%, this project will be key in helping both our customers and the environment. And, by combining our energy market, customer supply and Research & Development expertise we are well placed, alongside our partners, to drive change.”

Nick Merricks, Head of Smart Energy at Landis+Gyr said: “We’re excited to be involved in this project, a vital part of the government’s AEM programme and a key enabler for the development of a smart and flexible energy system. Working with our consortium partners, we will help to pull technology through from the government’s Interoperable Demand Side Response (IDSR) project, proving that demand side flexibility can be secure, interoperable and support innovative domestic tariffs in accordance with open standards.”

Andrew Turton, Head of Consultancy at LCP Delta, commented: “The energy transition brings a significant change to the interface between consumers and the energy system, where customers dynamically interact through flexibly managing their demand as well as generating and storing energy. Through LCP Delta’s research and consultancy expertise, we have explored many innovative ‘customer side of the meter’ solutions and associated business models. A common theme across all of these is the use of innovative tariff propositions which provides the golden thread between how customers operate assets and the overall functioning of our future energy system.

“Our participation in this project excites us as we join forces with EDF Energy and Landis+Gyr. It presents a valuable opportunity for us to apply our expertise and delve into the exploration of new tariff models based on half-hourly settlement. Together, we aim to uncover ground-breaking approaches that optimise the utilisation of tariffs and pave the way for enhanced energy management. By leveraging this collaboration, we strive to contribute to the advancement of a more sustainable and efficient energy system.”