It is recognised that the move away from fossil fuels to nuclear and renewable energy will make it increasingly difficult for energy companies to manage the supply of energy to homes and businesses. There is consequently great interest in ways of controlling demand by shifting patterns of use.

The European Commission has published another chapter of its analysis of the regulatory and commercial arrangements that would be required to enable demand side flexibility.

At the moment only industrial consumers have power purchasing agreements with their energy providers to accommodate varying demand. This latest analysis looks at how consumers might also be able to sell their flexibility.