Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution announced on 12 March 2024 that it has delivered an innovation project known as VFES (Vulnerability Future Energy Scenarios)1. The project was funded by the regulator Ofgem's Network Innovation Allowance (NIA)1. SSEN states it is the first electricity network operator to enshrine care for its most vulnerable customers at the heart of its plans for developing future electricity networks1.
According to SSEN, VFES accurately predicts when and where communities are less resilient, less affluent, and more seriously affected by prolonged or frequent power cuts1. It can also assess where and when those communities are likely to miss out on the benefits that low-carbon technologies are bringing1. SSEN says the project also sets out to give a heads-up of what new circumstances may end up having an adverse effect on certain groups of people1.
The work was informed by energy and foresighting experts at Imperial College London, with data insights from the Smith Institute, and assessment and validation provided by the fuel poverty charity National Energy Action1. SSEN's project manager for VFES, Simon O'Loughlin, said:
"In this groundbreaking project, we've used predictions, data, and expert analysis to learn so much more about how, where and when our customers might find themselves in more vulnerable situations."
SSEN notes that many of the new technologies people are choosing, such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, will result in more demand for clean, renewable electricity, and that some customers may be unwilling or unable to make those changes1. The company says the understanding gained is already being put in place to plan its network investment strategies, both in regions expected to see high uptake of low-carbon technologies and in communities where customers rely on energy more than most1.
Why it matters for households
The project concerns how electricity distribution networks plan for the households they serve. For a home, the practical questions are whether its area is likely to face prolonged or frequent interruptions, and whether it is likely to be among the last to gain the benefits of low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps and electric vehicles. SSEN's stated aim is to identify those communities in advance and to reflect that understanding in how it invests in the network1. The project was validated by National Energy Action, a fuel poverty charity, which SSEN says championed the needs of consumers within the work1. No specific measures, eligibility criteria or household-level support offers arising from VFES are set out in the announcement1.
What happens next
No dated next steps are given in the announcement. SSEN says the level of understanding produced by VFES is already being put in place to plan its network investment strategies1. No further timetable, publication or consultation has been reported.