First families in England receive free hot water from surplus renewable energy via EnergyCloud 

A pioneering renewable energy initiative is now delivering free hot water to families experiencing energy poverty in England by redirecting surplus renewable electricity that would otherwise go to waste.

EnergyCloud, the not-for-profit social enterprise that uses surplus renewable energy to tackle energy poverty, has successfully connected the first homes in England to its platform. The milestone has been achieved in collaboration with award-winning Community Interest Company YES Energy Solutions CIC.

Installations of EnergyCloud-enabled smart devices was completed in February and the first families were connected and went live with EnergyCloud in early March. These devices automatically activate immersion heaters in hot water tanks when surplus renewable electricity is available on the grid, such as excess wind power generated overnight or during periods of low demand. 

The result is simple but powerful: renewable energy that would otherwise be wasted is used to provide free hot water to families who need it most.

In the first two months of this year, 2,017 million kWh of surplus zero-carbon renewable energy was wasted across England, Scotland and Wales, with an estimated retail value of over £558 million. At the same time, across England, millions of households are living in fuel poverty while significant volumes of renewable electricity are curtailed or unused each year. EnergyCloud works with partners across the energy system to redirect some of this surplus energy to heat water in participating homes, reducing energy bills for vulnerable households while ensuring renewable energy is put to better use.

YES Energy Solutions CIC, working with local partners, has led the installation and integration of the EnergyCloud-enabled devices, supporting families to participate in the programme and benefit from free hot water generated using surplus renewable energy.

The project marks the first phase of EnergyCloud England’s roll out, with ambitious plans to expand the initiative to reach more households in the coming months.

David Nicholl, Chairperson of EnergyCloud England, said:

“Connecting the first homes in England to EnergyCloud is a hugely important milestone. At a time when families are struggling with high energy costs, it makes no sense for renewable electricity to go to waste.

This initiative shows how smart technology and strong partnerships can turn surplus renewable energy into a practical solution that helps households in fuel poverty while supporting the transition to a cleaner energy system.”

Duncan McCombie, Chief Executive of YES Energy Solutions CIC, added:

“We are delighted to see the first families in England benefiting from EnergyCloud. By working with our partners, we are helping households who need support the most while ensuring renewable energy is used more efficiently.

This is just the beginning and we are excited to scale the programme to reach many more families.”

This milestone in England represents an important step in scaling this innovative approach to tackling both energy waste and fuel poverty. EnergyCloud was established to create solutions to divert surplus renewable energy, which would otherwise be wasted, to homes in fuel poverty. To date EnergyCloud has operations and separate teams in England, Germany, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.  

Further homes are expected to be connected in the coming months as the programme expands.