British Gas and Dimplex Launch Innovative 5G-Enabled Electric Storage Heating Tariff

British Gas and Dimplex Launch Innovative 5G-Enabled Electric Storage Heating Tariff

(IN BRIEF) British Gas and Dimplex have collaborated to introduce the British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff, a groundbreaking electric storage heating tariff designed for use with the Dimplex Quantum Storage Heater. This advanced heating solution offers lower rates than typical Economy 7 tariffs by allowing British Gas to charge Quantum heaters during periods of low electricity costs. The technology, which utilizes 100% renewable electricity, enhances energy efficiency, reduces bills, and contributes to the UK’s energy transition. The Quantum heaters communicate intelligently with British Gas and can be aggregated into virtual power plants to help balance electricity supply and demand, promoting a greener and more flexible grid. Customers receive reduced night-time rates and enjoy benefits like enhanced control, improved building energy performance, and peace of mind with locked-in rates for at least 12 months. This initiative aligns with British Gas’s commitment to sustainability and decarbonization.

(PRESS RELEASE) WINDSOR, 18-Oct-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — British Gas and Dimplex have partnered to launch the British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff, the UK’s most advanced electric storage heating tariff for use with the Dimplex Quantum Storage Heater.

The Dimplex Quantum Storage Heater, from manufacturer Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation, is a revolution of the traditional storage heater; a heat battery, designed to deliver the electrification of heat in buildings. The Dimplex Quantum is a great electric heating option for homes that are looking to upgrade their existing storage heaters or replace other direct electric heating systems. This technology and the flexible services it enables, compliments at a national level the roll out of heat pumps.The British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff is a first-of-its-kind smart tariff for the Quantum storage heaters. Created by British Gas, the tariff can offer lower rates than typical Economy 7 tariffs thanks to the heaters’ capability to allow British Gas to charge Quantum heaters when electricity costs are lowest on the grid. This will be delivered through 100% renewable electricity*, and with prices fixed for 12 months.Designed, developed, and manufactured in the UK, the Quantum heaters intelligently communicate with British Gas, who charge them up with low-cost electricity when it’s available on the grid. This cheap electricity can be intelligently stored as heat which not only helps consumers to lower their bills but can also provide flexibility to the UK’s energy system as we continue to decarbonise our national energy infrastructure and transition towards Net Zero.

Catherine O’Kelly, Managing Director of British Gas Energy said: “Our partnership with Glen Dimplex will allow customers to save on their energy bills, shift energy usage away from peak times, and help contribute to a greener grid. I’m pleased that our new British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff will join the PeakSave family, which is helping to create a more flexible and sustainable energy grid and supporting the UK on its decarbonisation journey.”

How does it work?

Dimplex Quantum heaters are installed into a home alongside a Dimplex Control Hub, a device that connects the heaters and their energy needs via a data cloud to British Gas. Devices are aggregated into virtual power plants using the market leading Demand Side Response software platform developed by Centrica, the parent company of British Gas.

Virtual power plants, which can include aggregated devices such as home batteries, EV chargers, smart hot water tanks as well as large industrial batteries, can be used to help balance the supply and demand of electricity in the energy markets and help to keep the electricity grid stable. They can also help the UK achieve its net zero targets by reducing demand in response to low levels of renewable generation, reducing the need to run fossil fuel power stations during times of peak demand.

Customers on the British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff receive a reduced night-time rate for the whole property from British Gas (with day-rate in line with the standard tariff), for agreeing to connect to the data cloud and providing this electrical flexibility. The heaters are programmed so that they always maintain enough charge to meet the needs of those using them, whilst still helping the bill-payer save money through reduced tariff rates. This reduced rate tariff is just one of the ways British Gas is rewarding customers for better energy use through its PeakSave scheme.

Conor Sugrue, CEO of GDHV said: “I’m delighted that the British Gas Dimplex Quantum tariff has been launched to the market after so much development. Our collaboration with Centrica on the National Grid trials has proven that technologies available now to customers can help with the challenge they face in reducing cost and carbon whilst maintain comfortable, healthy buildings.

“Of all the innovation required to launch this proposition to customers, I’m most proud of its simplicity. We are offering a modern, low carbon heating solution paired with a recognisable tariff from the largest energy and home services company in the UK.

“This is an important step into a new market for smart technologies which solve problems at a grid level, and bring these savings into the lives of the consumers whose appliances make it possible. Through collaborations such as this, the UK has the opportunity to deliver a secure, decarbonised energy system which is low-cost and accessible to all. I can’t wait to see this new era of flexible, dynamic tariffs evolve.”

Benefits of the Tariff

This new energy model creates value for the supply chain and property owner, which gives energy consumers a number of benefits:

• Gives a low cost, low carbon alternative in the replacement of storage heaters and for those using Economy7 tariffs
• Future-proof technology that will decarbonise with the grid and create a return on future energy trading services as they develop
• Enhanced customer control, provides a user app with functionality such as zoned control and energy data analysis
• Improved building energy performance, as the heaters are recognised in SAP and Energy Performance Certificates for improving a building’s EPC rating
• Peace of mind from locked-in rates for a period of at least 12 months
• Heavily discounted night-time rate for the whole property from British Gas, with day-rate in line with the standard tariff
• Opportunity to take advantage of British Gas’s Peaksave offers, saving consumers even more on electricity bills by shifting energy use to periods of lower demand.

Notes to Editors
* British Gas match the electricity you buy from them on this tariff with 100% renewable energy by buying Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origins certificates. This means buying certificates that guarantee electricity has been generated from a renewable source to match the electricity that you’ll use.

The partnership between Glen Dimplex and British Gas

Earlier this year, Centrica alongside Glen Dimplex and Midland Heart Housing Association, concluded trials under Ofgem’s regulation innovation sandbox programme to offer flexibility services into the Balancing Mechanism, the electricity system operator’s (ESO’s) primary tool used for balancing supply and demand on Britain’s electricity transmission network. This was the first-time home heating devices have been used for such a service, paving a much more consumer-led, demand-side approach to energy flexibility in the UK.

This collaboration won the ‘Net Zero Initiative – Heating and Cooling’ at The Energy Awards last week and is nominated for the Smart Systems and Flexibility Project of the Year award at the Edie Net Zero Awards in November, with the industry quickly realising the value of new propositions. It places the consumer at the heart of a new energy model which solves grid problems, reducing the cost of our energy whilst decarbonising electricity.

More information can be found on:

British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff from British Gas – https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/gas-and-electricity/dimplex-quantum-tariff.html

British Gas Dimplex Quantum Tariff from Dimplex – https://www.dimplex.co.uk/british-gas-dimplex-quantum-tariff

Dimplex Quantum heater – www.dimplex.co.uk/quantum

Centrica and GDHV Sandbox Trial – https://www.centrica.com/media-centre/news/2022/centrica-and-glen-dimplex-to-run-uk-s-largest-trial-of-domestic-smart-storage-heaters/

Centrica DSR Website – www.centricadsr.com

Peaksave – https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/peak-save.html

Media Contact:

Email: media@centrica.com

SOURCE: Centrica plc