Ohme rewards drivers with over £400,000 during Winter CrowdFlex trial
Ohme has rewarded more than £400,000 to EV drivers who participated in its Winter CrowdFlex trial from September 2024 to April this year.
The Ohme Winter CrowdFlex scheme encouraged motorists to plug in their EVs whenever they were parked at home, enabling them to earn rewards. This incentivised approach found a significant change in home charging habits amongst participants, with overnight plug-in rates rising by 42% and daytime plug-in rates increasing by 53%. Moreover, Ohme found a very low drop out rate during the trial.
The CrowdFlex trial is led by NESO, the National Electricity System Operator for Great Britain. The biggest takaway from it was that when financially motivated, motorists are more encouraged to plug-in and help contribute to grid flexibility.
On the back of the trial, Ohme CEO, David Watson, said: “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.”
“Through Ohme’s participation in this trial we have seen engagement extend beyond those customers that were already engaged. 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 head of marketing requirements, Cathy Fraser, added: “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 is the official charger provider for several car manufacturers in the UK including Mercedes, Volvo, the Volkswagen Group, and most recently, Suzuki. As well as proving a home charger with installation for free with the purchase of a new vehicle, Ohme also provides customers with up to 10,000 miles worth of free home charging credit depending on their brand of choice.
