This project sought to develop a methodology that could be adopted across the sector to help turn energy performance gains into measurable benefits through smart technology.

The approach, known as measurement and verification (M&V) has been used in large non-residential energy upgrade projects for several years, but a standardised approach for evaluating and measuring performance of home energy projects did not yet exist in the UK.

Conclusions and recommendations

The project has made progress towards a metered energy savings solution for the UK and has highlighted the need for such a protocol, building on the work carried out under the GFI’s CEEB initiative during 2020-21. A series of user interviews and further research with stakeholders convened by GFI concluded:

1) The relevance and methodology of this work has been validated through conversations with all the stakeholders engaged, supporting further investigations into this field.

2) Changes are likely to be required across the UK’s energy data infrastructure to support metered energy savings and pay for performance business models. For example, determining the specification of network dispatch proving tests will assist in supporting network-based use cases by providing clear thresholds of accuracy and confidence to work towards and test against.

3) The importance of resident comfort, fuel and carbon savings should all be considered and integrated as these methodologies develop and evolve over time. The variability between domestic and non-domestic sectors, in terms of available inputs and desired outputs, should not be underestimated. As such final solutions should be adaptable and flexible wherever possible, limiting prescriptivism where possible to maintain an open field of potential applications and value streams.

4) Data and data collection methodologies remain one of the key barriers to producing, evaluating, and improving metered savings methodologies. The collection and sharing of high-quality data (data from smart meters) should be given high importance by industry actors and policy makers alike, and access to existing data should be improved wherever possible.

5) In home devices and real-time monitoring may be able to provide a cost-effective solution to some, but not all, of these issues, and so a holistic approach is needed as the UK moves forward with decarbonisation.