Households across the Midlands, South West, and South Wales are spearheading a clean energy revolution, according to new data from National Grid’s Distribution System Operator (DSO). Every single dispatched flexibility service in 2025 has been zero carbon, with most of that power coming from homes equipped with low carbon technologies like solar panels, heat pumps, and electric vehicles.
While fossil fuel sources can still participate in flexibility markets, renewable power consistently wins on cost. This price advantage translates to lower bills for all customers, and participating households earn incentives for shifting their energy use. Helen Sawdon, Head of Operations at National Grid’s DSO, noted, “Increasingly, households are adopting low carbon solutions: electric vehicles, solar panels, heat pumps, and more. This shift is transforming our flexibility market, tackling both costs and carbon, while boosting resilience across the electricity network.”
Since April, National Grid has executed over 6,400 flexibility events, all zero carbon, delivering more than 1,110 MWh of clean, affordable flexibility. This amount of energy could power 148,648 homes for a day or drive an electric vehicle to the moon and back nine times.
Sawdon highlighted three key benefits of flexibility for consumers: improved network efficiency, reduced emissions, and increased competition. “We are seeing a big increase in market competition, enabling us to access flexibility services that are up to 34% lower than the ceiling prices we advertised,” she said. The number of registered flexibility assets has doubled in a year, reflecting growing interest and participation.
This trend suggests a significant shift in the energy sector, with households playing a pivotal role in driving down costs and emissions. As more homes adopt low carbon technologies, the flexibility market is likely to become even more competitive, further reducing prices and accelerating the transition to a cleaner energy system. Companies offering flexible demand, generation, or storage can join the Market Gateway platform at marketgateway.nationalgrid.co.uk to participate in this evolving landscape.