Centrica has today (Monday) launched a call for local residents to take part in its pioneering Local Energy Market trial.
The company is looking for 100 homes to take part in the three year programme, which will see successful applicants take a share in an £800,000 fund to cover the cost of new generation and storage technologies.
Programme Director Matt Hastings said: “We’re giving local people the opportunity to get their hands on the very latest energy tech that will help them to take greater control of how they use energy at home. What that means is giving them the power to produce their own energy, store it, (maybe even both), and rewarding them for being more flexible about when they use that energy.”
Participating households will receive funding to cover the cost of an energy solution that is tailored to their specific needs. Once installed, homes will connect to a virtual marketplace that will buy and sell their flexible energy on their behalf.
For example, homes could receive a domestic battery to absorb excess power on the local network or from their own solar panels, while others could use smart storage heaters to draw energy outside of peak hours and release that energy in the form of heat during the day. On the generation side, participants could benefit from new equipment that would allow them to produce their own power such as new solar panels or micro-combined heat and power units.
The trial is open to all homeowners and private tenants in Cornwall, regardless of who their energy supplier is. Applicants must have access to broadband and pay for their energy either by direct debit or on receipt of their regular bill.
To find out more and register your interest in the trial, go to www.centrica.com/cornwall or email Cornwall@centrica.com.