Millions of households and businesses in Britain participated in the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS), driven by the primary motivation of reducing energy bills.
According to a new evaluation commissioned by the ESO (Electricity System Operator), 65% of households facing financial difficulties and 43% of financially comfortable households chose to sign up for the service with the aim of lowering their energy costs.
The study analysed data from diaries, opinion polls and online surveys.
Among the participants, almost 62% expressed satisfaction with their experience and an impressive 83% stated their willingness to participate again in the future.
Additionally, the research found that awareness of the DFS was reported by 38% of the respondents, and of those aware, 51% actively participated.
Shifting demand strategies included reducing usage during events (38.7% of responses) and planning usage around events (38.3%), as revealed through the analysis of diary entries.
Participants reported multiple benefits, with managing the challenge (42%), earning rewards (39%), and contributing to a national collective effort (38%) being the most commonly mentioned advantages of participating in the DFS.
Claire Dykta, ESO Head of Markets, said: “Last winter’s DFS was a first of its kind for Great Britain, with millions of consumers and businesses actively participating in demand-side energy system flexibility at scale.
“The independent research released today is an important tool for the ESO and industry partners as we look ahead to this coming winter’s scheme and beyond.”
