Non-Domestic Smarter Tariff Comparisons Innovation Programme: successful projects
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-07)

This programme funded the development and demonstration of smarter tariff tools for the smaller non-domestic market.

The Non-Domestic Smarter Tariff Comparisons Innovation Programme (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-domestic-smarter-tariff-comparisons-innovation-programme) ran from 2023 to 2025.

The programme committed up to £1.35 million to support projects that identified, developed and tested innovative solutions which securely used customer data (including half-hourly smart meter 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 helped to:
- drive wider engagement with and take up of energy tariffs (including time-of-use tariffs)
- bring forward demand-side flexibility in the non-domestic market
Programme structure

The programme consisted of 2 phases:
- Phase 1 - up to £250K funding for feasibility studies along with proposals for the design, development and testing of prototypes. See details of the funded projects from this phase: Non-Domestic Smarter Tariff Comparison Programme: Phase 1 projects (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-domestic-smarter-tariff-comparisons-innovation-programme-successful-projects/non-domestic-smarter-tariff-comparison-programme-phase-1-project-information)
- Phase 2 and 3 - up to £1.1 million funding for the development and testing of prototypes to ready (or near ready) for commercialisation and market by the end of the competition. See details of the funded projects from this phase: Non-Domestic Smarter Tariff Comparisons Programme: Phases 2 and 3 projects (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-domestic-smarter-tariff-comparisons-innovation-programme-successful-projects/non-domestic-smarter-tariff-comparisons-programme-phase-2-and-3-winners)
Programme Completion

The Non-Domestic Smarter Tariff Comparisons Innovation Programme concluded at the end of March 2025. The competition funded five feasibility studies and supported two projects through to prototype development. Both prototype platforms were launched and delivered to a near-commercial standard, demonstrating how smart meter data can be securely used to help smaller non-domestic energy users access tariffs (in context of their consumption) and participate in demand-side flexibility as a broader range of tariff offerings emerge on the market.

The programme formed part of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s innovation portfolio, supporting the transition to net zero by enabling new tariff models and more active consumer participation in the energy system.

Final project summary reports (Phase 2 and 3)
- Tariff Tribe – Future Energy Associates Ltd (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68df9feedadf7616351e4dc2/tariff-tribe-report.pdf)
- FAST – Hildebrand Technology Ltd (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68dfa2b6ef1c2f72bc1e4d8a/FAST-final-report.pdf)
Background

Smart meters are being rolled out to businesses, public sector organisations and homes across Great Britain. As of the end of June 2025, nearly 40 million smart and advanced meters were in homes and small businesses across Great Britain (69% of meters in scope of the roll-out) (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics).

Smart metering makes it possible to remotely access half-hourly consumption data (with relevant permissions from the customer) which can be analysed to provide tailored tariff recommendations, including for 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 aimed to address this by developing and testing products that securely leveraged 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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexibility-innovation) 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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/net-zero-innovation-portfolio).