ENW conducted the trial to help eliminate the need to build costly new substations to cope with growing electricity demand which, network strategy and technical services director Paul Bircham points out, is set to double by 2050, bringing with it increased costs to consumers.
“Building a bigger network to meet predicted demand could cost hundreds of millions – which would ultimately come from customers’ bills. We wanted to work with the community to encourage customers to reduce consumption so that there’s less need to invest in costly new infrastructure,” he said.
“We are delighted that our exciting new initiative was a success and not only were residents able to enjoy a price cut on their energy bills, but the trial really brought the community together.
“I think people were surprised at how much they can save by just changing simple things around the house, including using energy-saving light bulbs, draught-proofing doors and washing clothes at a lower temperature.”
The ‘Power Saver Challenge’ was launched by the network in November last year, and saw 260 Stockport residents strive to become more energy efficient.
The results of the trial will now be shared with other network operators across the country and could be rolled out across the north west.
In January, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) estimated that the UK’s gas and power networks require an investment of approximately £41.6 billion by 2020 to enable them to meet future challenges.