New smart appliance rules in England mean customers will save £100 on bills
The rules will mean new heat pumps and certain other electric heating appliances must be sold with smart functionality, which customers can choose to activate to access cheaper deals.
New smart appliance standards will help consumers save on bills, the government has announced. The rules will mean new heat pumps and certain other electric heating appliances must be sold with smart functionality, which customers can choose to activate to access cheaper deals.
Customers able to shop around for best deals as smart appliances like electric vehicle charge points and heat pumps must operate across different suppliers.
Labour Party Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: "From EV chargers to heat pumps, smart appliances can do the hard work for consumers by automatically using energy when the price is low. We want to put more money in people’s pockets as part of Our Plan for Change by making it easier for people to benefit from cheaper off-peak tariffs in their home.
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"These new standards will also bring a common-sense approach to smart appliances by ensuring different brands and models can operate across different energy suppliers, allowing consumers to shop around for the best deals."
A new framework will introduce requirements for heat pumps to be sold smart-ready, in line with regulations that already apply to electric vehicle chargers. This will give heat pump owners the choice to activate smart functionality and make savings by heating their homes when energy is cheaper. This can save around £100 per year compared to the costs of a gas boiler.
Sarah Honan, Head of Policy at the Association for Decentralised Energy said: "To hit net zero and slash bills, consumers must lead our energy overhaul.
"With 84% of households ready to embrace flexible energy use for savings, it’s time to make smart tech the standard. Smart EV chargers, heat pumps and similar innovations will save families hundreds a year, as well as save the energy system billions by avoiding costly grid upgrades. We applaud the government for stepping up to turn this vision into reality."