Tracking energy consumers’ use of low carbon and flexible products and services: 2025

This research shows that consumers have the potential to make a significant contribution towards a cleaner energy system by changing how and when they use energy in the home.

Main points

• Most consumers express a desire to adopt low carbon technologies with greater adoption possible in the near term, for example 14% say they will adopt an electric vehicle (EV) within two years.
• Among those consumers unlikely to adopt low carbon technologies, cost remains the main barrier to adopting EVs, heat pumps and solar panels, with low awareness a significant obstacle to adopting home battery storage.
• Around half of consumers (49%) believe Time of Use tariffs could save them money, but only 17% of those not on these tariffs plan to switch, citing a lack of guaranteed savings, inertia and limited knowledge.
• Over half of households with a washing machine (54%) report already doing or being willing to shift at least a quarter of washes to off-peak times, suggesting strong potential for near-term flexible use of common household appliances where safe and practical.
• Off-peak EV charging appears to be common practice among many EV users with room to grow further, but pre-heating homes at off-peak times is reported as uncommon among heat pump users.
• Combining participant responses with consumption data shows that most additional flexibility potential currently sits with a small group of households, typically those willing and able to shift EV charging and laundry use.

Methodology

In 2025, Ofgem commissioned Ipsos to deliver the first wave of the Flexibility and Net Zero (FANZ) Survey, a nationally representative study of domestic energy consumers in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). The research explores households' attitudes, behaviours and experiences in relation to low-carbon technologies, off-peak energy uses and time-varying tariffs. Uniquely, survey responses were linked to historical half-hourly consumption meter data for a sub-sample of participants.

The findings are based on an online, random probability survey of 4,385 domestic energy consumers across Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). The survey was carried out between 19 and 25 June 2025 using Ipsos' Knowledge Panel. The survey is designed to be nationally representative and inclusive of digitally excluded households.

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