The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, working with Ofgem and NESO, published the Clean Flexibility Roadmap on 23 July 2025, setting out how a more flexible electricity system will be delivered1. The roadmap explains how the government will meet the commitment in its December 2024 Clean Power 2030 Action Plan to increase clean flexibility capacity from 2023 levels to a range of 51 to 66 GW by 2030, a two to three-fold increase1.
The government says supporting more consumers to use electricity at off-peak times will boost the efficiency and resilience of the electricity network, making up to £70 billion in estimated savings on system costs by 20501. It cites electric vehicle drivers as an example, saying they could save up to £330 per year by smart charging overnight1. Commitments in the roadmap include helping electric vehicle drivers get discounts on electricity when using public chargers at off-peak times, requiring suppliers to make information on smart tariffs more accessible, and taking next steps to help consumers access tailored products and services based on their electricity usage1.
The first steps set out in the roadmap are appointing a Flexibility Commissioner, establishing ways of working with NESO and Ofgem to hold government and industry to account for delivery, and setting up an annual forum to track progress1. Policies being delivered as part of the work include Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement, which will enable energy usage to be billed every 30 minutes, and the Smart Secure Electricity Systems programme1.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:
"This roadmap gives households and businesses the choice and control over when and how they use their energy."
The government also published three related documents on the same day: a consultation on consumer engagement in consumer-led flexibility; a call for evidence on improving asset visibility, covering how distributed energy assets such as heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points are registered with distribution network operators; and a response to the call for evidence on energy smart data, confirming continued work to consider whether to introduce a smart data scheme for the energy sector1.
Why it matters for households
The roadmap concerns how and when households use electricity, and what they are charged for it. Flexible tariffs and smart appliances allow consumers to shift usage to times when electricity is cheaper, and the government says many consumers already vary when they use electricity1. Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement would mean energy usage is billed every 30 minutes, which is the mechanism that makes time-of-use pricing possible1. The asset visibility call for evidence covers registration of heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points with DNOs, which affects how those assets can be used flexibly and whether network infrastructure is built unnecessarily1. The energy smart data response confirms the government will continue to consider a scheme for sharing customer data, at the customer's request, with authorised third parties1. Participation in flexible tariffs is described in the roadmap as voluntary1.
What happens next
The consultation on consumer engagement in consumer-led flexibility, the call for evidence on improving asset visibility, and the response on energy smart data were all published on 23 July 20251. The roadmap commits to appointing a Flexibility Commissioner, establishing ways of working with NESO and Ofgem, and setting up an annual forum to track progress1. No dates for these appointments or for the forum have been reported.