Energy Smart Appliances Programme

Energy smart appliances will support the transition to a flexible and low CO2 energy system. They will transform the demand for electricity, by making it more responsive to match the short-term availability of renewable energy. This will empower consumers to actively manage demand and make an important contribution to the UK’s progress towards net zero.

We are working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) to facilitate the uptake of safe, secure and interoperable Energy Smart Appliances (ESAs), including electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints, for the active management of demand on the electricity network, known as Demand Side Response (DSR). The ESA programme, led by BSI, supports these aims while informing a wider policy and standardization approach.

The programme covers research into smart EV chargepoint and smart domestic appliance standards convergence, development of standards for ESAs and DSR, and supporting the establishment of a testing and certification regime. Key deliverables include two PAS standards, developed through an industry-led process, and a roadmap report on standards convergence and wider strategy.

The ESAs covered include cold and wet appliances; heating, ventilation and air conditioning units; battery storage; and smart EV chargepoints. The standards will be based on the four key principles of interoperability, data privacy, grid stability and cyber security.

An “Energy Smart Appliance” or ESA is defined as a communications-enabled device able to respond automatically to price and/or other signals by modulating or shifting its electricity consumption. Services provided to the electricity network through this consumption modulation are known as “Demand Side Response” or DSR.

Traditionally, electricity is supplied “on demand”, but DSR enables supply and demand to be balanced efficiently for both the network operator and the consumer. ESAs appropriate for DSR typically include higher-load devices with shiftable demand requirements such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), cold and wet appliances, battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) charge points.