National Grid expands opportunities for domestic customers to take part in energy flexibility
Today we are announcing further expansion of our flexibility opportunities across an additional 1,426 locations on our low voltage (LV) distribution network for winter 2024/25.
As part of our ongoing work to transform our network for a net zero future, National Grid Electricity Distribution is looking to maximise participation in our LV Sustain service – which rewards flexibility from domestic customers on our low voltage networks.
Throughout fixed “low energy usage periods” which are conducted in the same 4-hour time windows, five working days a week, domestic customers are encouraged by their energy provider or an appointed aggregator to reduce their energy demand. Energy suppliers and aggregators pass on any benefit to households which take part by applying savings to their energy bills. LV Sustain is designed to make flexibility more accessible for a wider range of customers by establishing a fixed requirement flexibility contract that is easy to understand, giving suppliers/aggregators and households consistency of service. This flexibility offering is now available to 176,000 customers across National Grid’s LV network.
National Grid’s Flexibility Commercial Manager Helen Sawdon said: “LV Sustain is making participation in distribution network flexibility more accessible for a wider range of customers. Households are becoming increasingly more active in flexibility services and our offering is providing a simple, easy to understand service that is delivering benefits to households, suppliers/aggregators and National Grid. This latest expansion now means that 176,000 customers have access to flexibility services across our whole network.”
LV Sustain is helping to establish how best flexibility can be employed in a range of local settings, to prepare the network for the substantial increase in assets set to accompany the net zero transition. Network flexibility helps us reduce demand on the network at peak times, compensating for the increased demand that it experiences through other customers. This flexibility means there is less need to carry out significant infrastructure investments which in turn keeps energy bills for customers lower in the short term and helps connect more customers to the network. National Grid suggests the latest flexibility offering could defer over £60m in network reinforcement works. For customers, if they participate in flexibility they can benefit from lower energy bills, depending on the rewards offered by their supplier.
Partners currently signed up to LV Sustain include Octopus Energy and Axle Energy.
Following on from last year’s success, we are encouraging interest from suppliers and aggregators who want to take part. The sign-up period opened on Monday 15 January and will last six weeks. Those interested in getting involved can register through National Grid’s Market Gateway platform.
National Grid has also agreed a strategic partnership with flexibility market platform Piclo. The agreement means that flexibility service providers operating on the Piclo platform can seamlessly access and participate in National Gird’s flexibility market offerings. The window for applications closes on Friday 23 February.