Passiv UK launched Greener Grid Payments on 1 November 2023, a service that pays its heat pump control customers for reducing power use at peak times. It runs until 31 March 2024 and is open to all Passiv customers using the PassivLiving app1.
The service sits within the National Grid Electricity System Operator's Demand Flexibility Service (DFS). Passiv UK said the DFS was introduced last year and that over a million homes took part. It also said that almost all domestic flexibility provided under the DFS so far relies on manual intervention, such as switching off a fridge for a couple of hours or running the washing machine later in the day, and that it is the first registered DFS provider to offer an automated heat pump service1.
The automation works by pre-heating the home before an event. Passiv UK said its Smart Energy Platform and heat pump controls "will pre-heat the home, storing warmth in the fabric of the building so that the heat pump can be switched off for an hour or so without the home becoming cold"1. Customers are also notified in advance of Greener Grid Events, which Passiv UK said gives them the chance to earn more by cutting consumption of other devices in the home1.
On payment, Passiv UK said: "As a registered DFS provider, we are paid for this demand reduction by National Grid which we share with our customers"1. The announcement does not state the rate paid per event, the number of events expected, or the total a household might earn; those figures have not been reported1.
"Following a successful trial last year, Passiv UK has today launched Greener Grid Payments."
Why it matters for households
Demand flexibility services pay households for shifting electricity use away from peak periods, when the grid is under most strain. For a home with a heat pump, the usual obstacle is that heating cannot simply be switched off without the house going cold. Pre-heating the building fabric ahead of an event is the mechanism Passiv UK uses to avoid that, so the reduction in power happens without a noticeable drop in comfort1.
For a household, this is a form of energy independence that does not require generating anything: the home's heating and controls become a small, paid contributor to grid balancing. It also matters that the service is automated. Manual flexibility depends on someone being present and remembering to act; an automated service runs whether or not anyone is at home1. The arrangement is limited to Passiv heat pump control customers using the PassivLiving app, so it is not open to heat pump owners generally1.
What happens next
Greener Grid Payments runs until 31 March 20241. Passiv UK directs customers who want details or to sign up to email the company1. No further dates, event schedules or payment rates have been reported1.