Not-for-profit centre of excellence Energy Systems Catapult has partnered with Electricity North West and Impact Market Research to better identify low income and vulnerable (LIV) customers and tailor energy support.
The partnership, which is being funded via the Network Innovation Allowance, aims to better understand the energy needs, the attitudes of LIV customers and assess how best to engage with this demographic to support the journey to net zero.
This is becoming an increasingly important issue amid the energy crisis. Fuel poverty levels increased over 2022, according to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), with 13.4% of UK households within this bracket. With millions having slipped into fuel poverty and this figure expected to increase in 2023, more support is clearly required for LIV households.
The partnership between Energy Systems Catapult, Electricity North West and Impact Market Research will provide the UK’s 14 licensed Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) with a better understanding of the individual needs of LIV customers. Gas Distribution Networks (GDN) will also be represented in the research providing further support across sectors.
In doing so, the service and support DNOs and GDNOs provide will be better targeted to meet a customer’s specific requirements whilst being delivered more consistently.
“Together with Electricity North West and Impact Market Research, we are taking a fresh approach to a widely researched challenge,” said Marc Brown, business lead– homes at Energy Systems Catapult.
“Our approach will redefine the energy needs of LIV customers and their associated vulnerabilities and do away with oversimplistic categorisations by characteristics. Such an approach will support efficient targeting and delivery of electricity – and to some extent, gas – services.
“The findings of the research will help the energy sector respond to the changing needs and priorities of customers and move beyond one-dimensional classifications to help us navigate the net zero transition for the benefit of all individuals.”
Impact Market Research will lead the study into energy needs and attitudes, and engagement with LIV customers and will be supported by Energy Systems Catapult. The research will be collected from at a national level to ensure there is a representation of all energy supply regions.
“This research approaches the important issue of customers in vulnerable circumstances in a fresh and open way. By focusing on customers’ needs first and only then on their defining characteristics, the aim is to provide energy network operators with a better understanding of how best to serve and support customer in more targeted and efficient ways,” said Steve Morley, project lead – utilities division at Impact Market Research.