Two UK firms are collaborating to make so called Off peak electricity more attractive to consumers through the use of storage.
Tonik Energy and Powervault last week announce a collaboration to assess the potential for a new smart tariff model that could bring batteries into the mainstream in UK homes and significantly reduce bills.
The collaboration will see Powervault’s domestic storage units trialed with Tonik Energy customers who have smart meters as the duo evaluate the use of energy storage in conjunction with a smart tariff.
Through technology and data, Tonik Energy’s overarching ambition is to halve customers’ bills by 2022. This trial in collaboration with Powervault marks an important step towards this goal.
Their joint aim is to provide proof of concept for the UK’s first storage tariff that will enable householders to benefit from the ability to store energy drawn down at off-peak times.
Joe Warren, Managing Director, Powervault, says: “We exist to make a smarter way of life possible, by rethinking the way electricity is generated and consumed. Historically, domestic energy storage has been associated primarily with the 900,000 UK homes equipped with solar panels, but a much larger market is starting to emerge, enabled by the smart meter rollout.”
The UK government aims to have smart meters installed in all UK homes by 2020, providing a gateway to intelligent tariffs via in-home battery storage units that will drastically reduce the homeowner’s bills.
By automatically charging when demand is low and electricity is cheap – at night, for example – and discharging during peak times, Powervault could cut the homeowner’s electricity bills by up to 35%, the company claims.
This collaboration highlights the opportunity for energy suppliers and domestic energy storage companies to work together to put the benefits of battery storage directly into the hands of the consumer.