equiwatt Ltd took part in National Grid's Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) during winter 2022/23, according to Energy Systems Catapult, which published the detail alongside news of a research partnership with the company on 25 September 20231. The DFS pays households for cutting electricity use at peak times, and equiwatt's app rewards consumers for using less electricity at peak times1.
Since that winter, equiwatt has secured £631,944 from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero through the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund, part of the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio1. The funding supports work on automated services within its app for connected systems including smart thermostats, heat pumps, electric vehicle charging and smart appliances1.
Under the new project, 50 households from the Energy Systems Catapult Living Lab will be selected to test and trial the free equiwatt app's additional automation features1. The Living Lab comprises over 2,000 digitally connected smart homes across the UK1. Participants will be incentivised to reduce energy use at peak times, with smart meter data used to monitor household energy use and to automatically switch off high-energy appliances and pause EV charging when energy is dirtiest and most expensive1. equiwatt will also provide participants with energy monitoring smart plugs1.
Johnson Fernandes, founder and chief executive of equiwatt, said:
"In addition to the experience of being part of the DFS programme in 2022, the trial will provide us with invaluable consumer insights as we bring new features to the app and help us evaluate our market approach and solution in a closed environment to further enhance the end user experience."
The trial will examine three areas of household electricity use1:
| Area | What the trial will monitor |
|---|---|
| EV charging | Charging habits, patterns of use, and ease of using the equiwatt app; interviews on receptiveness to direct intervention in charging behaviour |
| Smart heating controls | Attitudes to equiwatt increasing or turning off heating technologies at certain times, satisfaction with app control, and likelihood of continuing to allow it |
| Smart plug control | How participants use the supplied energy monitoring smart plugs, their experience and their motivations |
Energy Systems Catapult said it first worked with equiwatt when the company joined its Energy Launchpad, and that equiwatt has since grown its proposition, attracted further investment and become a market leader in demand side energy management1. equiwatt had first worked with the Catapult in 20191.
Why it matters for households
The DFS is the main route by which a household can be paid for shifting electricity use away from peak times, and equiwatt's involvement shows the scheme reached homes through app-based providers as well as directly through suppliers. For a home's energy independence, the practical question is what can be moved: EV charging, heating and individual appliances are the loads the trial targets, and each depends on a smart meter, a connected device and a willingness to hand over some control1. The trial is designed to test that last point, including whether participants are comfortable with an app turning heating down or off and pausing charging, and whether they would keep allowing it1. No results from the trial have been reported.
What happens next
The 50 Living Lab households have not been named, and no start or end date for the trial has been reported1. Energy Systems Catapult says it will collect consumer feedback throughout, including interviews on EV charging and qualitative research on smart heating control1.