Digital inclusion in the future energy system

Establishing shared principles and a research agenda Energy network approaches anticipate that the UK energy system will require higher end-user engagement and flexibility, such as through peak load shifting, and that this will be digitally mediated by smart ICT (e.g. smartphone apps). However, it is possible that digitally excluded consumers will struggle to engage with these processes. Currently, over 10 million people in the UK do not have the skills to use digital technologies, and these consumers are more likely to be excluded as energy services become increasingly digitalised. The digitalisation of the energy system therefore risks replicating and entrenching these inequalities if digital inclusion is not built into its design from the outset. A collaboration with National Energy Action and the Good Things Foundation, this project brings together academic researchers, policymakers, industry, and community organisations to co-produce a set of shared principles for digital inclusion in energy network policy and development.