Electricity supplier E.ON Next has joined forces with distribution network operator (DNO) Northern Powergrid to trial a new scheme to lower energy bills.
The pilot, which will initially be available to 100 households in Crowle, northern Lincolnshire, and Starbeck, North Yorkshire, will combine battery energy storage with flexibility services and improved home insulation to help lower bills for consumers. When the pilot launches next month, participants will be provided with free home batteries from E.ON Next, which will be used alongside flexibility services provided by Northern Powergrid to store energy during cheaper times of day – typically between 10pm and 8am – which can then be used during evening peak times to lower bills while also aiding in grid balancing.
Home insulation upgrades will also be provided for free as part of the trial in order to maximise the financial benefits for those involved. The trial will formally begin in the two areas in November 2025 and will run for between one and four years; if the initial trial proves successful, the pilot will be expanded to other areas.
This is not the first time that E.ON Next has supplied free batteries to households to test the potential benefits of home batteries for flexibility and bill reductions. In December last year, the company installed the first battery as part of a similar trial scheme in Coventry, developed as part of E.ON Next’s 15-year Strategic Energy Partnership with Coventry City Council.
Paul Glendinning, director of energy systems at Northern Powergrid, said that the DNO is dedicated to ensuring that low carbon technologies and the benefits of net zero are within reach for everyone in the DNO’s operational area. He added: “This initiative offers a sustainable solution to network challenges. Together with E.ON Next, we are committed to creating a more efficient and affordable energy future for everyone.”
Ramona Vlasiu, chief operating officer at E.ON Next, noted that batteries are becoming an increasingly popular and useful solution for customers looking to lower their energy bills and take control of their energy use.
Vlasiu added: “It is important that we find new ways to make these solutions available to the people who need them most, which is why we’ve partnered with Northern Powergrid to make batteries available to households in Crowle and Starbeck, where fuel poverty levels sit at around 6% and 12% respectively.”
