Tag: 2025

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 23 April 2025.

Consumers will be able to save money on their bills thanks to new regulations for many smart energy appliances.

Consumers will benefit from a wider range of cheaper energy deals thanks to new requirements for smart appliances like heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers.

This will enable more households to access cheaper tariffs to cut their energy bills, to deliver on the government’s Plan for Change to put more money in people’s pockets.

Energy smart appliances allow consumers to shift their electricity usage to times when it is less costly for the energy system. When an appliance’s smart function is activated, it will respond to price signals and can then use energy when it is cheapest, such as overnight.

Many are already cutting their bills by taking advantage of off-peak deals. For example, electric vehicle owners with a typical annual mileage can save £332 a year by charging their cars overnight using a time-of-use tariff.

A new framework will introduce requirements for heat pumps to be sold smart-ready, in line with regulations that already apply to electric vehicle chargers. This will give heat pump owners the choice to activate smart functionality and make savings by heating their homes when energy is cheaper. This can save around £100 per year compared to the costs of a gas boiler.

The government will also ensure that a range of appliances including electric vehicle smart charge points, heat pumps, and battery energy storage systems must be able to operate across different tariffs. This will mean that devices are not tied to one energy supplier, and so consumers will not be locked into one plan. This will deliver savings by encouraging competition and allowing customers to shop around for the best deals regardless of what device they have.

The measures form part of the government’s Clean Power Action Plan, which sets out pro-consumer reforms to help households benefit from lower energy bills.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

From EV chargers to heat pumps, smart appliances can do the hard work for consumers by automatically using energy when the price is low. We want to put more money in people’s pockets as part of Our Plan for Change by making it easier for people to benefit from cheaper off-peak tariffs in their home.

These new standards will also bring a common-sense approach to smart appliances by ensuring different brands and models can operate across different energy suppliers, allowing consumers to shop around for the best deals.

Tough new cyber security standards will be introduced for smart appliances, to protect customers and their data from cyberattacks.

Not only will these measures help smart energy consumers to cut their bills, but lowering peak electricity demand would minimise the electricity infrastructure that needs to be built. This could contribute to saving £40 to £50 billion between now and 2050, leading to further savings for all billpayers.

Increased consumer-led flexibility will help to deliver the Clean Energy Mission, by enabling Britain to make the most of its renewable electricity at times of high generation or low demand, which will reduce the need for expensive fossil fuelled power.

The introduction of the Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement in 2027 will require energy suppliers to use the most accurate data, so they can offer more smart tariffs that allow customers to choose when to use energy and benefit from savings. Earlier this month, the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley wrote to energy companies warning that no further delay will be tolerated to the roll out of this new system, to ensure consumers can benefit as quickly as possible.

Sarah Honan, Head of Policy at the Association for Decentralised Energy said:

To hit net zero and slash bills, consumers must lead our energy overhaul. With 84% of households ready to embrace flexible energy use for savings, it’s time to make smart tech the standard. Smart EV chargers, heat pumps and similar innovations will save families hundreds a year, as well as save the energy system billions by avoiding costly grid upgrades. We applaud the government for stepping up to turn this vision into reality.”

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 23 April 2025.

An amendment to the Great British Energy Bill will enable the company to ensure forced labour is not used in its supply chains.

Great British Energy will act to secure supply chains that are free of forced labour, under an amendment brought forward by the government today.

Owned by and for the British public, Great British Energy will be a sector leader in building new energy infrastructure using ethical supply chains.

A new measure set out in the Great British Energy Bill will enable the company to ensure that forced labour does not take place in its business or its supply chains.

The amendment is the latest move in the government’s work to tackle the issue of forced labour as it becomes a global leader in clean energy. Great British Energy is already able to bar suppliers that use illegal and immoral practices from bidding for its contracts.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

Great British Energy will be an industry-leader in developing supply chains free of forced labour as it propels us in our clean energy superpower mission.

Owned by and for the British public, Great British Energy will be an institution we can all be proud of as we build our clean energy future here in the UK.

The government has already:

• brought the Procurement Act 2023 into force, so public bodies can reject bids and terminate contracts with suppliers that are known to use forced labour
• committed that Great British Energy’s strategic priorities will include an overarching expectation to tackle forced labour, becoming a sector leader in this space, as expected from any company owned by the British public
• set out that Great British Energy will appoint a senior leader on ethical supply chains and modern slavery
• relaunched the Solar Taskforce, to develop supply chains that are resilient, sustainable and free from forced labour
• encouraged renewable developers accessing its flagship Contracts for Difference scheme to grow the supply chain through the Supply Chain Plan process
• published updated guidance on producing modern slavery statements, providing all businesses and public bodies with practical advice on how to tackle modern slavery in their supply chains

And the Solar Roadmap will set out how government will work with industry to triple the UK’s solar capacity by 2030. It is set to be published later this year.

Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of the trade association Solar Energy UK said:

Solar Energy UK welcomes the government’s amendment to the GB Energy Bill.

The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI), which we developed with SolarPower Europe, is already having a real impact on the global supply chain. By the end of this year, SSI-certified manufacturing facilities will be able to produce 100 gigawatts of solar panels per year from independently-assessed sites that are not complicit in forced labour. That is around five times more than all of the UK’s existing solar panels put together, more than enough to meet both UK and EU demand. This number will continue to grow.

Given progress in ensuring that the UK supply chain is free from solar panels produced with raw materials tainted by human rights abuses, we are confident that there will be no slowdown in solar deployment. The amendment poses no threat to the attainment of clean power by 2030, nor to reaching net zero by 2050.

This latest commitment will support growth in the UK and plans to deliver clean power by 2030, by using domestic suppliers, alongside those across the world, who have safe supply chain practices.

The solar industry is confident that the government can meet its clean power ambitions whilst also tackling forced labour in supply chains, and the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out the supply chain requirements to deliver on this ambition.

Notes to editors

The proposed amendment, to Clause 3 of the GBE Bill, will be voted on by MPs and Peers.

This clause sets Great British Energy’s activities as: facilitating, encouraging and participating in clean energy projects; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; improving energy efficiency; ensuring energy security; and now, measures to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in its business or supply chains.