Consumers will benefit from a wider range of cheaper energy deals thanks to new requirements for smart appliances like heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers.
This will enable more households to access cheaper tariffs to cut their energy bills, to deliver on the government’s Plan for Change to put more money in people’s pockets, News Cover reports, citing UK government.
Energy Smart Appliances allow consumers to shift their electricity usage to times when it is less costly for the energy system. When an appliance’s smart function is activated, it will respond to price signals and can then use energy when it is cheapest, such as overnight.
Many are already cutting their bills by taking advantage of off-peak deals. For example, electric vehicle owners with a typical annual mileage can save £332 a year by charging their cars overnight using a time-of-use tariff.
A new framework will introduce requirements for heat pumps to be sold smart-ready, in line with regulations that already apply to electric vehicle chargers. This will give heat pump owners the choice to activate smart functionality and make savings by heating their homes when energy is cheaper. This can save around £100 per year compared to the costs of a gas boiler.
The government will also ensure that a range of appliances including electric vehicle smart charge points, heat pumps, and battery energy storage systems must be able to operate across different tariffs. This will mean that devices are not tied to one energy supplier, and so consumers will not be locked into one plan. This will deliver savings by encouraging competition and allowing customers to shop around for the best deals regardless of what device they have.
The measures form part of the government’s Clean Power Action Plan, which sets out pro-consumer reforms to help households benefit from lower energy bills.
