A first-of-its-kind trial of a non-usage-based energy tariff designed to encourage the uptake of low-carbon technologies is due to take place this winter.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is backing the trial of the new Energy Sure tariff from smart energy company ivie, which is offering homes with low-carbon technologies, such as home heat pumps and electric vehicle (EV) chargers, the opportunity to test the new tariff.
The Energy Sure offering is a “subscription-style”, flat rate energy tariff that, unusually, is not dependent on usage; instead, users will choose a specific “bundle” of energy use for a fixed price dependent on their needs, such as heating up to and including a specific temperature, or energy equivalent to a set number of EV miles.
The company predicts that those who take part in the trial could save 27% on heat pump running costs, and as much as 60% on EV charging costs compared to regular tariffs at the current price cap.
Ivie has partnered with a number of firms to develop the tariff and prepare the trial; these include Homely, which provides optimization services for user heat pumps, and Tomato Energy, which assists in tariff provision services. Research support was provided by Energy Systems Catapult, with Cornwall Insight and Passiv contributing analysis and data modelling.
Stephane Lee-Favier, managing director of ivie, said that by providing clear pricing and savings up front, the tariff makes intelligent management of low-carbon technologies easy for consumers.
Chris Williams-Hall, project manager at Homely echoed this: “By removing the complexity of fluctuating bills, we allow users to focus on what truly matters—staying warm and comfortable.”
Farouk Alhassan, CEO of Tomato Energy added: “With consumer demand for low-carbon solutions growing, it’s clear that energy tariffs need a complete rethink to meet the evolving needs of households.”
Tariffs innovate as clean tech uptake rises
With the number of households installing home EV chargers and heat pumps continuing to soar, partly due to the enduring popularity of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) funding package, the number of smart energy tariffs hitting the market is also on the rise.
Energy major EDF recently joined forces with heat pump firm Ideal Heating to launch a new offer in which customers who install a heat pump and move their home entirely away from gas heating can receive free energy for the entirety of December 2025, in an effort to encourage heat pump uptake.
Earlier in the year, EDF also launched a smart charging initiative for EV owners, allowing them to automatically charge their EVs overnight at times that provide the best value for money, with ScottishPower launching a similar tariff add-on in September.
ScottishPower has also introduced new offerings for cheaper heat pump tariffs, launching its first heat pump specific tariff in June of this year. Cleantech firm Aira and Octopus Energy have also formed a partnership on two green energy specific tariffs, one targeting Aira heat pump users, and one for customers with both a heat pump and solar panel setup installed.
