Ohme has distributed more than £400,000 to EV drivers who took part in its Winter CrowdFlex trial, which ran from September 2024 to April this year.
The Ohme Winter CrowdFlex program paid motorists to plug in their EVs whenever they parked at home. This approach changed home charging habits significantly among participants.
Overnight plug-in rates jumped by 42%. Daytime plug-in rates increased by 53%.
Ohme also found very few people dropped out during the trial.
The CrowdFlex trial is run by NESO – the National Electricity System Operator for Great Britain. The main finding was that financial incentives encourage motorists to plug in more often and help with grid flexibility.
CEO Highlights Cost Savings Potential
Following the trial results, Ohme CEO David Watson emphasized the broader implications for energy costs.
“Grid flexibility services are estimated to save consumers £10bn per year in energy costs by 2050 and this research shows that customer engagement is essential in generating more flexibility and helping the system meet peak demand, reducing costs and carbon emissions for everyone.”
Watson added that the trial reached beyond customers who were already engaged with flexibility programs.
“If we are to achieve the increase in domestic flexibility needed to deliver the Government’s Clean Power 2030 ambitions then attracting this wider core of customers will be vital for the future. Energy suppliers cannot engage all customers so there is clearly a role for companies like Ohme to extend the benefits of flexibility to all.”
NESO Sees Growing Consumer Insights
NESO head of marketing requirements Cathy Fraser highlighted the project’s expanding value.
“The CrowdFlex project continues to go from strength to strength, providing greater insight into the motivations of consumers in using their electricity flexibly. This work will help further grow domestic flexibility as a resource for balancing the electricity network using the insights from this work to unlock greater value for all consumers.”
Ohme serves as the official charger provider for several major car manufacturers in the UK.
The company works with Mercedes, Volvo, the Volkswagen Group, and most recently, Suzuki. Along with providing a home charger and installation at no cost with new vehicle purchases, Ohme gives customers up to 10,000 miles worth of free home charging credit.
The specific amount depends on which brand they choose.
