Levelling of heating and vehicle demand in distribution networks using randomised device control

Rising demand from electrical heating and vehicles will drive major distribution network reinforcement costs unless 24-hour demand profiles can be levelled. We propose a demand response scheme in which the electricity supplier provides a signal to a “smart home” control unit that manages the consumer´s appliances using a novel approach for reconciliation of the consumer´s needs and desires with the incentives supplied by the signal. The control unit allocates demand randomly in timeslots that are acceptable to the consumer but with a probability biased in accordance with the signal provided by the supplier. This behaviour ensures that demand response is predictable and stable and allows demand to be shaped in a way that can satisfy distribution network constraints.