Cooling demand on hot summer evenings with cash incentives
Households across the North West of England are being invited to earn more than £85 in rewards by taking part in a new Ofgem-funded energy project exploring how homes can help manage electricity demand during hot summer evenings.
The CoolDown trial will ask participating households with air conditioning or cooling heat pumps to temporarily reduce their cooling use during short peak demand periods, helping to balance electricity demand while supporting research into the UK’s future energy system.
Participants who take part in the trial will receive invitations through the equiwatt mobile app asking them to reduce the use of their cooling systems for a short period during selected evenings. The energy saved during each event will be measured using smart meter data and participants will earn rewards based on their contribution.
Households taking part in the trial will have the opportunity to earn more than £85 through a combination of sign-up incentives, participation rewards and short surveys supporting the research programme.
The CoolDown project forms part of the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund, which supports projects designed to help accelerate the transition to a smarter, more flexible and low-carbon energy system.
As temperatures rise due to climate change, electricity demand from cooling systems is expected to increase. The trial will explore how smarter use of home cooling could help manage peak electricity demand while reducing pressure on the electricity network.
The project is being led by SP Electricity North West in partnership with energy flexibility platform equiwatt, alongside research and energy system specialists including Oaktree Power, Guidehouse Europe, Ricardo-AEA, Impact Research, National Grid Electricity Distribution and UCL Consultants.
Joanne Edwards
Joanne Edwards, Chief of Staff at equiwatt, said: “equiwatt is delighted to be part of the CoolDown project, which explores how households can play an active role in shaping the future UK energy system while being rewarded for taking part.
“As our summers become warmer and demand for cooling grows, initiatives like CoolDown are essential to understanding how flexible energy use can support the electricity network. Through the equiwatt app, households can easily get involved, reduce their energy use at key times, and earn rewards for doing so.”
Richard Moulton, Head of Innovation for SP Electricity North West said: “Electricity networks must anticipate how energy demand patterns will evolve, particularly as higher temperatures drive increased use of cooling technologies in homes.
Richard Moulton
“CoolDown provides valuable insight into how this emerging demand can be managed more efficiently. By exploring new ways to balance the network during periods of strain, the project will help ensure we can continue to deliver a reliable, low carbon energy system while adapting to changing customer needs.”
Marzia Zafar, Deputy Director for Energy Systems Management and Security at Ofgem, said: “These projects showcase the kind of bold innovation that will be essential to modernising Britain’s energy networks.
Marzia Zafar
“By supporting these initiatives through the Strategic Innovation Fund, Ofgem is helping to unlock system flexibility, accelerate infrastructure delivery, and ensure consumers remain central to the energy transition.
“I look forward to seeing the impact these projects will have on building a more efficient, resilient, and future-ready energy system.”
Households taking part live within the SP Electricity North West network area, have a working smart meter and use air conditioning or a cooling heat pump in their home.
Participants will receive notifications through the equiwatt app inviting them to adjust their cooling use during short evening events across the summer.