Storing large amounts of energy is tricky, so the UK grid faces the challenge of generating electricity at the exact moment it’s needed. Battery and hydrogen storage options are limited, so the grid relies heavily on balancing supply and demand in real-time. This is crucial to avoid destabilising the grid and causing power cuts.
The process of adapting where and when energy is used in response to current requirements is called demand side response (DSR). It has two sides - firstly reducing demand at peak times, which are usually weekday mornings and evenings. Secondly, it means increasing demand when we’re generating a lot of renewable electricity – like on windy and sunny days – to avoid wasting it.
And this is where optimising energy devices comes in...
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What is optimisation?
Devices like heat pumps, EV chargers, batteries, and solar panels are flexible, so they can respond in real time to signals from the grid and adjust accordingly by either increasing or decreasing their demand for electricity from the grid.
What does smart optimisation look like with flexible devices?
Heat pumps
can pause for 15–30 minutes without affecting comfort, thanks to thermal inertia
EV chargers
can speed up or delay charging based on grid stress
Batteries
can store extra energy when supply is high to be used later when demand is high
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) EVs
can export energy back to the grid when demand is peaking
So far, so great for the grid. All this smart optimisation helps to balance it and prevent blackouts. But it’s great for the people with flexible devices too, because they can get paid for helping to balance the grid.
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How optimisation pays
If you have a flexible device, you can get paid for helping balance the grid by participating in energy markets:
- Capacity market gives an agreed payment if you opt-in to be available to reduce demand or increase supply at any time
- DNO flexibility markets offer local opportunities to support grid constraints
- Wholesale and day-ahead marketsincentivise you to help them trade energy based on forecasts and real-time needs
Why let Hive optimise your EV?
While the benefit of using your EV to help to balance the grid is clear, it can be confusing and difficult to do. Power+ does all the hard work for you - just plug in, tell us when you need it charged by and we’ll take care of everything.
Power+ charges at the cheapest, greenest times with no extra fees or fuss. We’ll work out how much you’ve spent on charging with Power+ and credit 25% back onto your energy bill. It’s our way of saying thanks for using energy flexibly. You could drive 9,000 miles for just £185¹ when you charge in Power+ mode.
And you always stay in control. Power+ uses smart algorithms to optimise charging, but you can override it anytime to suit your schedule.
Helping to keep the grid stable
Smart optimisation can also help with things like frequency regulation, voltage control, and inertia support. These are critical for keeping the grid stable as we move away from traditional fossil fuel generators.
Optimising energy devices isn’t just about saving money - it’s about actively shaping the future of energy and puts you at the heart of a cleaner, more resilient system.
1: Power+ is only available for customers with a compatible EV charger and a British Gas electricity tariff with a smart meter in credit mode. Based on our assumed efficiency conversion of 3.3 miles/kwh, savings assume that you are on the British Gas EV Power Nov26 tariff (as of 06/11/2025) and all charging is in Power+ mode in your off peak period. If on a Time of Use tariff, we will only charge your EV during the off-peak window while in the Power+ schedule mode. For full details please see Power+ Terms & Conditions.