In trials across 30 homes in southern England, researchers tested reducing heat pump use during peak grid demand hours, leading to a 90 per cent drop in electricity demand, while comfort remained stable.

The results came in a study funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and led by researchers from the University of Southampton’s Energy and Climate Change Division in collaboration with Good Energy.

The findings show that with the right technology and coordination, smartly managed heat pumps could help reduce pressure on the grid at critical times, such as during cold winter evenings, and reduce bills.

Professor Patrick James, University of Southampton, who led the research team, said: “Most people just want their homes to be warm and their bills to be affordable. Our study shows that heat pumps can provide comfortable heating while helping the grid cope at busy times. With smart control, they can play a key role in cutting emissions and making our energy system more resilient and even save some money on their bills.”

The study, part of a project called LATENT (ResidentiaL HeaT As An Energy SysTem Service) explored how this approach could be scaled up by energy companies, manufacturers and installers working together.

By embedding flexibility controls into heat pump systems, they could automatically respond to grid conditions, cutting demand when electricity use spikes and restoring it when pressure eases.

The research team now plans to explore how these smart systems could be integrated with other low-carbon technologies such as solar panels and home batteries.

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