Drive to harness technology to cut energy costs

A major project has been launched to harness AI and digital technology to reduce energy bills and boost security of supply.

The Government has challenged businesses and researchers to cut peak demand for grid electricity by 2 gigawatts – equivalent to powering over 1.5 million homes

The project is part of the Government’s new R&D Missions Accelerator Programme to deliver on core missions with clear and ambitious targets

An initial £4m for the first year of a five-year challenge will support researchers to come up with solutions that help shift electricity demand in evenings and weekends by 2 gigawatts.

Examples could include getting AI to predict how much energy the nation use days ahead of time by plugging in data from things like smart meters, weather forecasts, and consumption trends.

This could reduce the need to build network infrastructure and new power plants.