This article covers the UK government response to the April 2024 consultation on the Smart and Secure Energy Systems programme. You can read about our response to the original consultation here.
In April 2025, one year on from the original consultation, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) published their response on the future of the Smart and Secure Energy Systems (SSES) programme. This comes alongside an announcement from the UK Government outlining their intention to regulate home assets to be smart and connected, enabling domestic flexibility for enhanced grid security.
Passiv’s original response to the consultation emphasised the importance of minimising any potential burden on heat pump manufacturers which could jeopardise the Government’s ambitious heat pump target of 600,000 installations per year by 2028. The response also commented that any standards used must support simple participation in flexibility services with an emphasis on end-user comfort and wellbeing.
Passiv are pleased to see the response from DESNZ acknowledge the need for a measured, unintrusive solution that gives manufacturers the time and flexibility they need to ensure that regulations are properly implemented. Giving wider industry the opportunity to refine standards until they suit end-users is essential for building trust in a decentralised energy system. It is also promising to see the learnings from DESNZ’s Interoperable Demand Side Response programme acknowledged in the response, including Passiv’s input into the programme’s outputs.
As part of the new regulations, any heat pump sold in the UK will be required to be an ‘Energy Smart Appliance’. This means heat pumps must be able to respond to external signals in order to operate according to electricity prices, carbon intensity, and other flexibility indicators. DESNZ have indicated that these regulations will be phased, with heat pumps initially being required to modulate and shift electricity usage from 2027, and then being required to implement open standards from 2029, with the developing PAS1878 standard the current leading choice.
How can the Passiv Smart Thermostat help?
Many heat pumps do not have any kind of connected functionality, and many more do not utilise any kind of open standards. As part of the regulations, heat pumps can be sold alongside third party hardware to enable smart functionality. Passiv has been providing smart functionality to heat pumps for over 10 years, and recently demonstrated a PAS1878 compliant control solution to provide flexibility aligned with national standards.
The Passiv Smart Thermostat enables heat pumps to comply with the SSES regulations while minimising the need for changes to hardware. By providing online functionality to heat pumps, the Passiv Smart Thermostat allows heat pumps to automatically respond to flexibility signals, shifting and modulating their electricity demand in the most efficient way possible. Householders can participate in flexibility services through Passiv’s Greener Grid Payments, providing an easy, intuitive way for heat pump owners to earn money while supporting the grid.
If you are a heat pump manufacturer or installer staring down upcoming regulations, get in touch at pst@passivuk.com. We’re more than happy to discuss the SSES programme and how we can collaborate to make sure your heat pumps tick all the right boxes.
