Non-Domestic Smarter Tariff Comparisons Innovation Programme (closed to applications)
This programme aims to support innovation to determine the feasibility, development and demonstration of smarter tariff prototype tools in the smaller non-domestic market.
Documents
Details
Update: 11 September 2023
Successful projects for this competition published.
The Non-Domestic Smarter Tariff Comparisons Innovation Programme (of up to £800K) aims to support projects that identify, develop and test innovative solutions which use customer data (including half-hourly consumption data) to provide energy tariff comparisons (including standard tariffs, time of use tariffs, and tariffs bundled with flexibility technologies or services) along with supporting advice and recommendations for smaller non-domestic energy consumers.
Products funded by the programme will help:
- drive take-up of time-of-use tariffs
- bring forward demand-side flexibility in the market
Programme structure
The programme consists of 2 phases:
- Phase 1 - up to £250K funding for feasibility studies along with proposals for the design, development and testing of prototypes
- Phase 2 / 3 - up to £550K funding for the development and testing of prototypes to ready (or near ready) for commercialisation and market by the end of the competition
Potential applicants
Based on anticipated skills and expertise requirements, delivery of the project is likely to be drawn from the following organisations:
- third party intermediaries (TPIs)
- price comparison website (PCW) providers
- flexibility providers
- energy suppliers
- energy management service providers
- smart energy technology innovators
This list is not exhaustive: some organisations may combine some of these attributes, and applicant organisations may combine 2 or more of these functions
Applications
The competition closed to applications on 15 June 2023.
Online information events
We held an online information event on 4 April 2023 to provide an overview of the proposed innovation activity in the area of smarter tariffs for smaller non-domestic customers and to provide an opportunity to invite feedback.
The event presentation is available in the documents section on this page.
Background
Smart meters are being rolled out to businesses, public sector organisations and homes across Great Britain. As of the end of 2022, 31.3 million smart and advanced meters (55% of meters in scope of the roll-out) were operating in homes and small businesses.
Smart metering makes it possible to remotely access half-hourly consumption data (with relevant permissions from the customer) which could be analysed to provide tailored tariff recommendations, including more complex time-of-use (TOU) tariffs. By flattening usage throughout the day, these new types of tariffs can reduce the amount of generation and network capacity required at peak times, delivering system savings and rewarding consumers for using energy outside peak periods.
Delivering the benefits of demand side flexibility in the smaller non-domestic market will require a step-change in the tools available for consumers or third-party intermediaries, including services that help consumers understand whether they could benefit from time-of-use tariffs, wider smart tariffs and other flexibility products.
This programme will address this by developing and testing products that leverage smart meter data to provide tariff comparisons, while also addressing wider consumer engagement barriers in the non-domestic market.
This programme is part of the Flexibility Innovation Programme which seeks to enable large-scale widespread electricity system flexibility through smart, flexible, secure, and accessible technologies and markets. The Flexibility Innovation Programme funds innovation across a range of key smart energy applications, and sits within the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).
Last updated 11 September 2023 + show all updates
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Successful projects for this competition published.
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We have added clarification questions received up to this point, with responses.
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First published.