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© 2026 Flex Assure Ltd.
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Energy flexibility means small changes to when you use electricity - like charging your car overnight or pre-heating your home. You stay in control, and you could earn rewards for helping balance the grid.
The UK's electricity grid needs to balance supply and demand every second of the day. As more of us switch to electric vehicles, heat pumps, and smart home devices, that balance becomes harder to maintain.
Energy flexibility is about making small, voluntary adjustments to when you use electricity. It is not about using less - it is about using energy at smarter times. In return, you could earn money or credits from a flexibility provider.
Here are some common ways households take part in energy flexibility.
Let your car charge when electricity is cheapest and greenest, often overnight, without changing your routine.
Run your dishwasher, washing machine, or tumble dryer at times when demand on the grid is lower.
Heat pumps and smart thermostats can pre-heat or cool your home before peak hours, then ease off when the grid is under pressure.
Get paid or receive credits for adjusting your energy use at key times.
Reduce pressure on local electricity networks and help prevent blackouts.
Use more energy when renewables are generating and less when fossil fuels fill the gap.
Household energy flexibility is a new and growing market. Right now, there is limited formal regulation covering how providers sell, deliver, and support flexibility services for homes.
Flex Assure fills that gap today, setting clear standards now so consumers are protected while the market develops. Ofgem is expected to introduce formal regulation around 2027.
Today
Limited formal regulation
The market is growing fast, but consumer protections are not yet codified in law.
Flex Assure for Homes
Voluntary standards, real protection
Our Code of Conduct sets enforceable rules on sales, onboarding, rewards, data, and complaints.
~2027
Ofgem formal regulation
The regulator is expected to introduce mandatory consumer protections for domestic flexibility.
When a provider is a Flex Assure member, you can expect:
Honest, pressure-free sales - no cold calling or misleading savings claims
Clear onboarding - you understand what you are signing up for and what is expected
Fair reward structures - transparent about how and when you get paid
Data protection - your energy data is handled responsibly and securely
Complaints and ADR - a clear route to resolution if things go wrong, including independent dispute resolution
Answers to the things people ask most about household energy flexibility.
Questions to ask any flexibility provider before you commit.
What exactly will change about how I use energy?
How and when will I be paid or rewarded?
Can I opt out of specific flexibility events?
What happens if something goes wrong - who do I contact?
Is this provider a member of Flex Assure?
Independent organisations that can help with energy questions and complaints.
Flex Assure For Homes and Small Businesses is built on the HOMEFlex project, a pioneering initiative developed with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and funded by the Network Innovation Allowance. HOMEFlex brought together 19 organisations to create the domestic flexibility standards that now underpin this scheme.
Domestic flexibility connects you to the bodies that keep the grid balanced: the regional Distribution System Operators (DSOs) who manage local electricity networks, and NESO's Power Responsive programme, which coordinates demand flexibility nationally.
Download the codes of conduct that set the rules for flexibility providers.
The HOMEflex Code of Conduct for domestic and microbusiness flexibility service providers
Flex Assure Code of Conduct Version 4 (CC005) for Industrial and Commercial flexibility services providers
