Future Energy & Transport Tool

Our relationship with energy is about to change. We are moving from being simply users of energy to becoming a nation of generators, avoiders and storers of power. Electricity on its own won't be sold on a simple flat 'price per kWh' basis but based on 'time of use', to encourage us to avoid peaks in demand. This is good news for the consumer, who will be able to reduce their costs and in doing so lower the carbon-intensity of their power.

As Electric Vehicles (EVs) become more common, and the majority are charged at home, the rewards for flexible energy use amongst consumers will grow fastest amongst EV households. These greater rewards are what makes switching to an EV such a key positive moment to engage with consumers to increase understanding of the energy transition. The electric car has a central role to play in the formation of net-zero local energy systems.

Energy and mobility will increasingly be bundled together. We are already seeing that utilities are starting to offer home charge points with tariffs and car manufacturers like Tesla producing home energy solutions. With a proliferation of deals on the market and the bundling of products and services, consumers may need help to compare a large number of offers quickly and easily.

The increased complexity increases the need for high-quality communication and engagement to ensure that flexible energy benefits all.

Our free to use consumer comparison tool already sets out to highlight to the consumer the benefit of thinking about mobility and home energy together and begins to demonstrate the practicality of both an EV and home generation. The solution is tailored to the individual and is based upon factors like car requirements, expected journey types, home energy profiles and how suitable the individual and home are for solar generation and storage.

To simplify and improve our assessment of 'going electric' for the consumer, Power My EV will integrate more diverse sets of data (energy, mobility, GIS) which will simplify and shorten the comparison process for a user. We will be able to show how easily an individual can shift their use and become a flexible energy household. Our improved tool will allow this new energy landscape to be explored accurately by the user in a simple and intuitive way, allowing the savings from going electric to be discovered in full.