Pre-Portal

1. Complete an expression of interest.

2. Attend an information session. These are run either face-to-face or online via Zoom. They are small and informal with ample opportunities to ask questions. If the householder has an existing energy technology we can check compatibility with our smart devices.

3. Receive an invite to access the Flex Community™ Portal plus guidelines on how to use the Portal.

Portal

4. Set up an account on the Portal

5. Upload information to build up a comprehensive smart energy profile.

6. Complete a Plan on the Portal

7. Depending on what Plan the householder applies for they are taken through the pre-installation arrangements (e.g. receiving quotes, selecting installers, assessment visits).

Installation

8. Once they have arranged an installation date they go outside the Portal to complete their installation and make contractual arrangements with the installer.

Flexibility

9. Once all the equipment is installed, they are taken through the process of providing flexibility to the electricity grid.

Stage 1: A period of time when Flex Community™ builds up a profile of your usual electricity use with regard to the specific energy technology (Manual Mode)

Stage 2: A period of time when Flex Community™ optimises your use of the energy technology based on your preferences and other factors e.g. presence of solar pv or a Time of Use Tariff. (Automatic Mode without Flex)

Stage 3: A period of time when Flex Community™ simulates flexibility requests from the Distribution System Operator (DSO), the body responsible for distributing and managing electricity from the generation sources to the final consumers. In our area the DSO is Western Power Distribution (WPD) (Automatic Mode with Flex)

10. They receive payments for providing flexibility to the grid:

In some areas the grid operator already makes use of flexibility services, and payments are received from them via Flex Community™ . We expect this to become more common as more renewable energy is installed on the grid.

See a more detailed version of the Customer Journey we used at the link below: