National Grid’s heat pump flexibility trial renewed

The first EQUINOX (Equitable Novel Flexibility Exchange) trial saw 400 heat pump customers across the UK participating in the turn down scheme, whereby they adjusted heat pump use to reduce peak electricity demand. According to National Grid, the initial pilot provided a total measurable household reduction of 10.8 MWh – equivalent to the energy needed to make more than 300,000 cups of tea. The project began in December 2022 and is now planned to run until December 2025, with the second phase of the trial – featuring more than 1,000 customers - launched this November.

“The initial results from our EQUINOX trials show that heat pump flexibility can help manage the demand on electricity through the distribution network while simultaneously saving customers money on their energy bills,” said Matt Watson, head of Commercial and Operability at National Grid DSO.

“Feedback from participants so far have shown that these kind of flexibility measures do not compromise the comfort of households and that the customer experience was positive. As thousands more homes switch to heat pumps, flexible systems like this are going to be even more crucial to balance demand at key times. Trials like EQUINOX show that customers are willing to tweak their everyday lives to save money and help balance the system.”

The initial EQUINOX trial saw households in the Midlands, South West and South Wales taking part in the scheme, turning off their heat pumps for 22 two-hour periods between 5 - 7pm, in exchange for savings on their bills over the trial period. According to National Grid, 92 per cent of participants were moderately or extremely satisfied with their experience. As with the first trial, the second trial was open to any Octopus Energy, Sero and ScottishPower customers with heat pumps connected to National Grid’s distribution network in the East or West Midlands, South West or South Wales.