How Can Tech Help Cut Electricity Bills In The UK?

The UK government has put £4 million into a 5 year project that could help bring down energy bills and cut the use of gas during busy periods. The money will go to researchers and tech teams who want to test new ideas that can shift energy use away from the busiest times of day.

This is a project with UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero leading. It wants to free up 2 gigawatts of power during evenings and weekends, which is enough to supply about 1.5 million homes. This could mean less use of gas power stations, which are more expensive and less clean.

The strategies being tested involve using AI to predict when homes will use the most electricity based on smart meter data, weather forecasts and just general daily routines. Other tools could heat or cool homes at the cheapest times or turn electric vehicles into backup power supplies for the grid.

Marzia Zafar, Deputy Director for Energy Systems Management and Security at Ofgem, said, “Encouraging energy companies and innovators to develop their AI capability and trial new products and services is key to a low carbon future, and at Ofgem we’re hugely supportive of those at the forefront of those efforts.”

Minister for Climate Kerry McCarthy added, “We are working to build a more flexible electricity system, giving households more choice and control over when and how they use energy.

“This new challenge will help deliver that, exploiting the exciting potential of AI and other cutting-edge tech to help more people access flexible tariffs and save on bills as part of our Plan for Change.”

 

 

What Are Tech Companies Doing About Their Power Use?

 

Google has made new deals with US power companies to use less electricity during peak times. These agreements are known as demand-response schemes. Google’s data centres now take part in them, switching to lower usage when the local grid is under strain.

The company has worked with Indiana Michigan Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Google said the deals help the grid manage large users more easily. It can also help avoid the need to build more power plants. This builds on an earlier test Google did with Omaha Public Power District.

Google’s carbon emissions have jumped 48% since 2019. This is largely due to the huge power demand from its data centres, many of which now handle artificial intelligence tasks. These tasks use far more energy than past digital tools.

Shubhi Rajnish, Chief Information Officer at the National Energy System Operator (NESO), said, “With nearly 2 million households already registered to our world-first Demand Flexibility Service – rewarding customers to turn down or shift their energy use during peak hours – we know that smart innovation really can make a difference.

“Harnessing new technology like AI to optimise the way Britain uses its electricity isn’t only going to help make things more affordable for consumers, it’s going to help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and improve energy security, helping us on our road to clean power by 2030.”

Science Minister Lord Vallance said, “We’re calling on Britain’s brightest minds and innovative businesses to help us cut energy bills, boost energy security, and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

“This is a challenge with real impact – if we get it right, we’ll save families money, protect the planet, and make the UK a clean energy superpower.

“R&D has the power to change lives and we want to harness it to deliver real, measurable progress towards the government’s 5 missions and turn bold ideas into real solutions by 2030.”