Delivering a smart and secure electricity system: implementation
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-23)

We're seeking views on new standards for energy smart appliances and organisations which provide demand side response services or can remotely control electrical load.

Update: 3 June 2024

The original closing date for this consultation was 11 June. Given pressures on stakeholder time during the pre-election period, we have extended the closing date to 21 June 2024.

Update: 8 May 2024

We have made the following changes:

Tariff data accessibility: proposals on scope and delivery approach - consultation paper: Added new question 5: What is your view on the methodology and cost assumptions used in the cost appraisal as presented in the analytical annex?

Energy smart appliances analytical annex: First phase regulations: Definition of heat batteries updated to: An electric heating appliance that can be used flexibly to utilise periods of cheap and clean electricity generation by heating a thermal storage medium, which then heats water via a heat exchanger to feed a central heating system and/or a sanitary hot water system.

The Smart Secure Electricity Systems (SSES) Programme is designed to create the technical and regulatory frameworks to enable the untapped flexibility from small scale devices, such as domestic electric vehicle charge points and heat pumps. It should contribute to electricity system decarbonisation in a way that protects consumers and the electricity system.

This consultation builds on both the 2022 Delivering a smart and secure electricity system consultation (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/delivering-a-smart-and-secure-electricity-system-the-interoperability-and-cyber-security-of-energy-smart-appliances-and-remote-load-control) and the 2023 government response to that consultation.

The consultation questions are split into sections over 3 documents:

1. The Energy Smart Appliances (ESA) paper (58 questions) sets out proposals on:
- a set of minimum standards for ESAs that adhere to the principles of interoperability, cybersecurity, data privacy and grid stability
2. The Licencing Regime paper (56 questions) sets out proposals on:
- the type of organisations that will require a load control licence
- requirements around consumer protections, data privacy, consumer switching, management and financial controls
- a framework and design principles for cyber security and technical requirements in the licence
3. The Time of Use Tariff paper (12 questions) sets out:
- the scope of a tariff data standard for energy suppliers to meet so energy smart appliances can easily receive and respond to tariff information from different energy suppliers
- the proposed regulatory and delivery solutions (which are intertwined)
The consultation is open to anyone to respond, but will primarily be of interest to:
- energy and technology companies
- energy smart appliance manufacturers
- consumer and environmental groups
- innovators, and third party intermediaries in energy and / or other sectors
Read our consultation privacy notice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/desnz-consultations-privacy-notice/privacy-notice-relating-to-consultation-responses-received-by-desnz).