Key benefits for local authority teams

Local authorities can gain significant operational, financial, and strategic advantages by engaging with clean flexibility measures described in the guide:

• Lower energy costs: By using time‑of‑use tariffs, local authorities can shift energy use to cheaper periods, lowering operational bills across buildings, depots, and public infrastructure.
• New earning opportunities: Clean flexibility allows councils to leverage assets such as EV chargers, heat pumps, batteries, and building systems to earn payments for adjusting demand or generation in response to system needs.
• Accelerated progress towards Net Zero: Flexibility measures reduce emissions by optimising energy use and supporting a cleaner, more efficient electricity system. This aligns with both council‑level climate strategies and national Clean Power 2030 goals.
• Greater energy system resilience: Participation supports a more flexible, consumer‑focused electricity system aligned with the national Clean Flexibility Roadmap, strengthening local grid reliability and enabling more renewable integration.

Guide highlights

• Policy summary: Introduces the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 plan and the purpose of the Clean Flexibility Roadmap, setting the strategic context for why clean flexibility is essential for a reliable, low‑carbon electricity system.
• Definition of clean flexibility: Explains flexibility as shifting electricity demand or supply while reducing emissions. Outlines how organisations can save or earn by adopting flexible energy practices.
• Time‑of‑use tariffs: Details why ToU tariffs matter, including cost‑saving potential and system benefits. Provides guidance on how local authorities and asset owners can implement ToU arrangements effectively.
• Asset flexibility: Illustrates the value of using assets like EVs, heat pumps, and batteries to support flexibility markets. Describes methods for enabling assets to respond to system signals and contribute to a more resilient electricity network.