Citizens Advice response to Ofgem's call for input on engaging domestic consumers in energy flexibility
A successful net zero transition must be one that is fair and inclusive. Building a market for energy flexibility with fairness and inclusion at its core will not only help people to lower their energy bills and cope with the cost of living, it will help companies’ products and services to reach more people and make their business more financially viable and scalable.
We welcome Ofgem’s call for input on engaging domestic consumers in energy flexibility and agree that an attractive, simple, and seamless customer journey is key to unlocking large-scale engagement.
Energy flexibility can only play a meaningful role in the net zero transition if the government takes proactive actions to help more people participate. We recently undertook qualitative research with domestic consumers and published our findings in A flexible future, having identified a lack of evidence about the barriers people are likely to experience and what they need in order to participate. We identified a range of barriers at each stage of the consumer journey of interacting with smart energy technology and energy flexibility. Our response primarily draws on the findings and recommendations from this work, as well as evidence from our previous research and external sources.
Broadly, we need to see a clear plan for how the government will support people who may otherwise struggle to participate in flexibility. This should prioritise 3 main outcomes: better information, appropriate regulation and inclusive innovation.