The forecasted growth of heat pump and EV chargers exposes networks to increasing challenges associated with cold load pickup following a prolonged outage, i.e. the initial demand could be beyond design parameters. Having a method to control and gradually ramp up demand after these prolonged shutdowns will allow DNOs to maintain network stability and reliability.

Smart Restart will develop and simulate a methodology for mitigating cold load pickup through smart meter-based load control. Central to the approach is the random offset feature built into smart meters, which could delay the reactivation of devices (such as heat pumps and EV chargers). Staggering when devices switch back on could prevent a sudden demand surge that could otherwise lead to a partial or total network shutdown.

Benefits

This project is categorised as a Research project; however, an indicative benefit pathway has been considered based on the counterfactual scenario.

·         Base Cost (Counterfactual): In the absence of the Smart Restart methodology, unmanaged reconnection following a prolonged outage can lead to excessive peak demand, which may exceed substation or feeder capacity. The counterfactual involves capital-intensive reinforcement of LV feeders, installation of additional monitoring/control assets, or reactive operational responses to secondary outages—all of which increase system costs and customer disruption.

·         Method Cost (Smart Restart): The proposed approach leverages existing SMETS infrastructure to enable staggered reconnection via randomised offsets. This can be achieved without additional hardware installation, offering a significantly lower-cost alternative. It also has the potential to reduce engineering dispatch requirements during recovery, allowing resources to focus on more urgent or complex faults. Additionally, the result from Smart Restart can also help the thinking behind Regional Energy System planning.

A high-level calculation suggests that, if implemented effectively, Smart Restart could reduce the occurrence of secondary outages due to cold load pickup. Based on potential savings from avoided Customer Interruptions (CIs) and Customer Minutes Lost (CMLs), the solution could deliver annual benefits of approximately £1.5 million, assuming 90% of these secondary outages are prevented.

Recipients of the benefit include:

·         Consumers, through improved supply reliability and lower network costs (which flow through to bills)

·         Network operators, through reduced reinforcement, fewer site visits, more efficient use of existing assets, helping the thinking behind Regional Energy System Planning

·         The wider system, through enhanced grid flexibility and readiness for increasing LCT uptake