Four projects designed to help low income and vulnerable consumers benefit from an emerging smart, flexible energy system in the UK have been successfully selected to receive £100,000 each to kick-start their solutions. The support is part of the Inclusive Smart Solutions (ISS) programme, a £2.75 million programme funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

It is disproportionately challenging for consumers to access, use and afford the technology and services needed to benefit from a smart flexible energy system. The four projects chosen for Phase 2 of the ISS programme have demonstrated the potential to increase the participation in dynamic energy flexibility, adoption of relevant technologies, and optimise how much energy is being used in low-income and vulnerable households.

This initial phase will put the projects through a 12-month programme to help their product or service become market-viable. This includes support with consumer insights, go-to-market strategy, business mentoring and more.

Rebecca Sweeney, Business Leader at Energy Systems Catapult, said:

“A smart energy system that is accessible to low-income and vulnerable consumers is vital for reaching Net Zero and ensure the transition is a fair and inclusive one. These projects have demonstrated how they can help shape the energy landscape we need today, where innovation ensures no one is left behind.

“The next 12 months provides  a unique opportunity for these innovators to develop their products and services through consumer testing to reach a solution that consumers want and need.”

The projects

Repowering London: Repowering Homes: Renewable energy can often be costly or impossible to install for those who do not own their homes. Repowering Homes will work with tenants to co-design a retrofit service for blocks of flats that will bring their needs into the retrofit design process. This will increase resident engagement and support the uptake of low carbon smart energy solutions, including communal generation and storage, and increase access to the benefits of the smart energy system.

Changeworks’ Smart Tenant Smart Home: One of the main challenges for social housing providers is the implementation and funding needed for efficiency improvements. By enabling social housing providers to plan, finance, install, and operate smart building systems, this project plans to help overcome these barriers. Using a smart building operating system made by smart local energy systems experts ZUoS, individual parts of a low carbon system like batteries, electric heating, smart appliances will be able to work together. This will manage energy demand and supply to reduce energy consumption and cut costs.

Homely ISS Assist: Homely is enhancing its tried-and-trusted heat pump controller to create a custom version of their smart optimisation technology, specifically adapted for low-income and vulnerable users. The Homely smart optimiser considers multiple factors like home heat loss, weather conditions and energy tariffs to dynamically adjust flow temperatures. By building on this existing technology and the needs of residents, users can achieve their desired comfort levels while keeping energy costs low. Their in-home display will be designed for ease of use, particularly for those less familiar with this type of technology.

equiwatt: Inclusive Smart Solutions:  This app enables customers to earn rewards by participating in demand flexibility services, which involves shifting energy consumption during peak times. Already used in approximately 100,000 homes, the plan is to expand access to the platform to Low Income and Vulnerable (LIV) consumers with specially tailored features and reach over 1 million households.

The Inclusive Smart Solutions (ISS) programme — led by Energy Systems Catapult with support from the Carbon Trust, IPSOS and TPX Impact — is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s £65 million Flexibility Innovation Programme, part of the UK government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which provides funding for low carbon technologies and systems.