Project CLEVER will test the appetite of EV drivers and Heat Pump owners, including vulnerable customers, to participate in a consumer led LCT (Low Carbon Technology) registration process in support of increasing visibility of EV and Heat Pump proliferation on the LV network. This stage will fund DNO and LCT owner workshops to understand and map what data is essential for DNOs, and what data LCT owners are willing to provide. in addition, the project will explore which type of incentives, on an on-going basis, could be utilised to both increase visibility of EV & Heat Pump demand, and to guard against loss of visibility due to customer events e.g. a house move, acquiring a second EV or significantly changing Heat Pump demand.
Benefits
CLEVER has the potential to improve the DNOs’ understanding of current LCT installations and therefore the nature of low voltage network utilisation. This knowledge can help DNOs plan for smart interventions and network reinforcement to provide the following customer benefits:
•cost deferment savings from just-in-time planning,
•cost savings from reduction of LV network monitoring requirements,
•improvements to quality of supply / network reliability,
•reduction of EV smart charger curtailments leading to:
- Improved customer satisfaction
- CO2 saving from increased EV usage
•Improved understanding of Heat Pump uptake rates and sizes in different areas
Learnings
Outcomes
Below is a summary of the main outcomes, lessons learnt and opportunities for further exploration; for the full set of learnings, please see the final report.
Readiness to share is influenced by a number of factors but particularly by age.
Barriers
Fear around data security, personal data being shared with third parties for marketing/sales, lack of transparency around data how the data will be used and why it will be useful, and concerns around passive data collection were all raised by participants during the focus groups.
Enablers
Participants felt more comfortable sharing their personal data with a reputable organisation or organisation which they already have a positive relationship with. Government organisations and regulated industries fell within this group. Participants were also more likely to share personal data if there were benefits to them such as rewards or savings, or if they felt they had sufficient control over their data and how it is used.
General data sharing attitudes
Focus group participants held a variety of positions when it comes to data sharing. Readiness to share is influenced by a number of factors but particularly by age, with younger participants exhibiting a greater willingness to share their personal information. However, these younger participants are more likely to query the security of their data from a technical perspective; are robust IT systems and protocols in place to protect my information?
Older participants’ reservations may be accounted for by concerns over data sharing with third parties and fears that their data might be used for marketing purposes. Further, having known a society that is not data-led, older participants showed a higher level of discomfort when being asked for personal information other than by trusted organisations; the government and those operating within regulated industries. There was no evidence that the type of low carbon technology (LCT) adopted influenced general attitudes towards data sharing.
Barriers to data sharing
Focus group research was able to identify a number of factors that inhibit participants from sharing their data. Although this was raised as a broadd topic, that is not specific to sharing information with DNOs, there are learnings for DNOs wishing to capture data on household customers’ LCTs.
Concerns over the security of their personal data, as well as anxieties over data sharing, were front and centre in participants’ minds. Further, participants would think twice if they were being asked for large volumes of information or were required to share information that was not in keeping with the reasons for data provision. Some were concerned about the passive collection of data from digital devices, and how such information might be used by those with access to it.
Lessons Learnt
It was found on the project that it was extremely difficult to locate heat pump customers and engage with them on the research. It highlighted the limited visibility that we had as a DNO of heat pump customers and the wider industry visibility. The market research company engaged on the CLEVER project had to extend their field work portion of the project in order to resolve this and increase the number of heat pump customer response. For future projects we would highlight the need for a smaller sample group and approaches that would lead straight to participants rather than field work.
