Project Summary
VIVID meets the aim of the specific Supporting a Just Transition SIF Challenge in the following respects:
o Providing novel and replicable approaches for identifying consumers in various vulnerable situations by analysing data available from smart meters. The project will then look at developing appropriate interventions to support these customers. We are designing the process so it could be used by others in the future, and we will ensure it is applicable GB wide. We are also liaising with UKPN, our Innovation Partner on their Helping Hands project to ensure that there is no duplication and identify opportunities for possible future collaboration and expansion
o Project VIVID will improve inclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers. From the outset the partners are focused on the outcomes for consumers in vulnerable situations, especially customers who are digitally excluded and are in danger of being left behind by technology. These are households who could be left behind in the Net Zero transition, without access to low carbon technologies (LCTs) and flexibility services
The energy network innovation involves:
o Working with a broader range of smart meter data than currently used by DNOs
o Using data to gain insight on customer vulnerability at scale, testing the process from end to end, from data acquisition through to customer engagement and assistance
o Developing new marketing and outreach activities for Priority Services Register (PSR) promotion and fuel poverty initiatives
o Finding new ways to support ‘missing’ consumers who are likely to be left behind in the transition to net zero
o Spotting trends in vulnerability more quickly and accurately allowing quicker targeted response
VIVID has four Discovery project partners:
SSEN-D, CGI, Quarriers and Aberdeen City Council
The main output of VIVID will be better identification of vulnerable customers. Better service delivery as a result will provide many positive outcomes including:
o Lower levels of fuel poverty following better targeted financial help
o Warmer and healthier population arising from energy efficiency activities being better directed
o Safer communities after resilience planning is provided to people identified as being less resilient
o Lower carbon emissions by reaching people who would most benefit from low carbon technologies, or who would be left behind otherwise
o Better collaboration between service delivery partners all working from the same data to deliver services more efficiently
o More investment in communities as organisations have greater confidence in providing help to the right households
Innovation Justification
VIVID will find people who, until now, haven’t registered for the PSR or received the financial and energy efficiency help they are entitled to.
In the Discovery and Alpha phases, new methods of identification will allow contact with customers who have been left out of engagement, not realised the support they are entitled to, or have found it hard to ask for help previously.
VIVID will use innovative techniques to unlock the potential of smart meter data by combining it with social and local information to drive inclusion in the energy economy.
During Alpha and Beta, the value delivered by VIVID will escalate dramatically. We will see VIVID expanding, with more local authorities, charities, delivery partners and potentially other DNOs using the process to identify the right people to help and support.
The value delivered by VIVID and the interventions it enables will be measured in four ways; two quantitative and two qualitative:
1. Direct savings for customers – calculating how much customers in total save off their bills from energy efficiency measures, fuel poverty advice, supplier switching, help with tariffs and income maximisation checks
2. Social Return on Investment calculations – considering improvements in health from warmer, safer homes following VIVID interventions
3. Engagement – with stakeholders, partners and end users of the services and support delivered by VIVID.
4. Customer satisfaction surveys – allowing us to benchmark service levels, the perception of the Project and driving continuous improvement
VIVID will break new ground by combining smart meter data with other information to produce dynamic analysis for vulnerability management, allowing short term changes in behaviour to quickly be interpreted as a potential requirement for consumer assistance like never before. The work done during Discovery will assess the potential for a unique, GB-wide, vulnerability assessor tool. Evaluating this tool as an “other user “of Smart DCC means the tool could be used by a wider range of accredited organisations ensuring that societal good and is not tied to one specific DNO.
SSEN-D are leaders in the promotion and provision of Priority Services using many innovative outreach techniques. VIVID will use new technology to find ‘missing’ consumers and engage with then in an inclusive, non-judgemental and positive manner, CGI and Quarriers both submitted excellent SIF pitches. VIVID combines their skills into one more efficient project to provide better outcomes for more customers at a lower cost than two concurrent projects.
Project Benefits
Financial - future reductions in the cost of operating the network
DNOs conduct extensive engagement and promotion for the PSR which has significant time and cost implications. Using the VIVID solution would identify households most at risk automatically, and facilitate rapid offers of financial and practical support, saving time and money. VIVID should reduce costs in engaging, recruiting and maintaining the PSR by using automated data analysis to find previously hidden customers help them register for Priority Services.
Financial - cost savings per annum on energy bills for consumers
Customers identified by VIVID will get faster and more targeted advice on possible interventions including energy efficiency, tariffs, switching, financial support, grants and debt management. The positive impacts will be calculated as a direct saving, a social return on investment and potentially by monitoring smart meters allowing further engagement to achieve more energy savings and further cost reductions.
New to market – products, processes, and services
As DNOs and suppliers look to use smart meter data for vulnerability identification VIVID will allow this to be done in a consistent, joined up manner by creating a common GB-wide vulnerability assessor tool, using smart meter data for societal good. This would also contribute to the idea of a common Consumer Consent Portal being investigated and part of Ofgem’s digitalisation projects. Operating a central service should allow consistency and cost reduction as duplication of effort is removed. VIVID will assess how vulnerable groups experience energy exclusion and trial practical solutions to help people understand and access digital information on energy support, transition and Net Zero.
Environmental - carbon reduction – indirect CO2 savings per annum against a business-as-usual counterfactual
VIVID will open conversations about Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs), promote energy reduction and carbon savings. Examples include spotting geographical clusters which would benefit from communal LCTs or usage patterns indicating, for example that subsidised PV panels would be more cost effective than debt and vulnerability management. Behavioral impacts of LCTs may also be monitored and combined with information from existing SSEN innovation projects, such as Vulnerability Future Energy Scenarios - VFES, Smart and Fair with the Centre for Sustainable Energy, and HOMEflex, brining fairness to Household or Microbusiness Energy flexibility fairness. Quarriers will proactively help less confident or tech savvy customers to understand and adopt LTC, helping customers who would otherwise be left behind to play an active role in net zero and energy flexibility.
