UK Drivers Receive £750,000 for Home Electric Car Charging in Landmark Trial
Drivers across the United Kingdom have been paid a substantial £750,000 to charge their electric vehicles at home as part of a groundbreaking energy flexibility trial. Ohme, recognized as the UK's largest home EV charging company, has distributed these rewards to its customers during the extensive Crowdflex energy trials.
Crowdflex: The UK's Largest Home Energy Flexibility Study
The Crowdflex initiative, which ran from May 2024 until September 2025, stands as the UK's most comprehensive home energy flexibility trial to date. This significant study focused on investigating how households can contribute to increased flexibility within the electricity grid by strategically shifting their energy consumption patterns.
David Watson, Ohme CEO, emphasized the trial's importance, stating: "The Crowdflex energy trials have demonstrated that companies like Ohme can play a vital role in domestic flexibility by engaging customers and helping to save consumers more than £470 million annually in energy costs by 2036."
Watson further explained: "We've proven that our customers are willing to adjust their plug-in behavior when necessary, delivering substantial flexible capacity through dynamic automated charging. However, to transition this knowledge from trial to real-world application, we require enhanced coordination across the Government and energy industry to provide greater value and more rewards to our customers for the full system benefits their home EV chargers can deliver."
Regulatory Support and Future Implications
Marzia Zafar, Deputy Director of Governance for Data and Digitalisation at Ofgem, commented on the trial's broader significance: "Crowdflex represents more than just a trial; it serves as a blueprint for the future of domestic flexibility. By developing real-life, data-driven models that illustrate how households can reliably support the grid, we are establishing the foundation for a smarter, more decentralized energy system."
Zafar added: "This work is essential for achieving the ambitions of Clean Power by 2030 and ensuring that consumers remain at the heart of the energy transition."
Funding and Collaborative Partners
The Crowdflex project received funding through Ofgem's Strategic Innovation Fund, which is managed in partnership with Innovate UK. The initiative is being delivered by a consortium of key partners, including:
- Ohme
- OVO
- Centre for Net Zero
- ERM
- AWS
- National Grid Electricity Distribution
- Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks
This collaborative effort highlights the growing importance of integrating electric vehicle charging into national energy strategies, paving the way for more sustainable and efficient power systems across the UK.
