Major strides have been made over the past year by National Grid Distribution System Operator (DSO) to increase the scale of its flexibility markets.
More than 162,000 assets offering flexibility services were registered in March, compared to 75,000 the year before, according to the latest market insights report from the DSO.
Domestic customers are overwhelmingly driving the rise, with 125,000 electric vehicle charging points registered on the Market Gateway platform – representing 50% of all charge points connected to National Grid Electricity Distribution’s network.
Doerte Schneemann, National Grid DSO’s head of flexibility markets, said, “Ninety per cent of our registered assets originate from domestic households, with EV charge points constituting the largest share by number of assets. This significant contribution has been a key driver in achieving our latest carbon intensity figure of 1.5g CO2e/kWh for the period between April 2024 and March 2025, driving progress towards a cleaner energy system.”
The latest data shows the DSO procured 19.8GWh of flexibility over the last year and that 2.9GWh of flexibility was dispatched – enough to power 392,000 homes for a day.
The report highlights that the increase in flexibility assets is boosting competition and driving down prices. During its last round of long-term procurement, the DSO awarded flexibility in HV zones at prices 34% lower than its ceiling prices, and 18% lower in LV zones, which meant savings of approximately £75,000 for customers.
Doerte said, “We are making participation in flexibility markets easier and more rewarding than ever. This report shows we are committed to growing the range and value of our flexibility offerings and making them available to as many consumers as possible.”
Looking forward, the DSO is planning to expand its flexibility services by introducing day-ahead markets. It is also inviting people to give their views on improving flexibility offerings by joining a new quarterly focus group.
