The MCS Foundation has published a new report: Unlocking Flexibility: How to Engage Households in Demand Side Response (DSR).
With domestic demand side response set to play a critical role in integrating renewables, supporting the electrification of heat and transport, and reducing system costs, the question of how to bring households on board is urgent. The findings draw on a UK-wide YouGov survey of over 2,000 adults and 20 expert interviews, providing both public and specialist perspectives.
The report highlights several key findings:
- Public awareness and understanding of DSR remains very low: 78% of people have never heard of it, and only 11% are currently on a time-of-use tariff.
- Barriers include lack of smart meters, complex tariffs, competing priorities, and limited flexibility capital, which risks excluding certain groups.
- Despite this, there is real potential: almost half (48%) of survey respondents said they would be likely to participate in an explicit DSR programme if given the chance.
- To unlock this potential, engagement must be built on five pillars: trust, equity and inclusion, empowering engagement strategies, clear and consistent messaging, and user-centred design.
You can access the full report and findings here: Link