Load Managed Areas (LMAs) have helped us manage the peaks of electricity demand.

Our electricity network is designed to handle the highest possible demand, which typically occurs on winter evenings when people have their lights, heating, and cooking appliances running simultaneously. By moving some of this demand into periods of lower usage — when there is excess capacity available — we can optimise our network.


An electric storage heater is a great example of a technology that can ‘fill in the gap’. Storage heaters are normally programmed to recharge at particular times ahead of use. We have worked with electricity suppliers such that storage heaters (and other similar technology) are recharged, when electricity prices are the cheapest, and when the network has a ‘gap’. This lets the owner of the storage heater access low electricity cost and reduces our need to increase network capacity, a cost saving to everyone. 
 
LMAs have been highly effective at managing the peak demand from pre-programmed loads, such as electric storage heaters. However, we believe that LMAs need to change as we accelerate to Net Zero for four reasons: 

SSEN has committed to reviewing the future of LMAs within the ED2 and ED3 price control periods.

Reviewing LMAs will indicate areas where they may be removed. We can only do this when we are confident this will be safe for our network and the people who use it. 

There are several actions we are taking to ensure this:

Updating our analysis and forecast of the network.  

Reinforcing the network or deploying Flexibility where there is a peak demand close to capacity.

Working with Flexibility Providers to develop Demand Diversification Services at LV level.

SSEN are innovating to develop new flexibility services called Demand Diversification Services (DDS).

It is likely that constrained assets will need to be addressed by diversifying the demand of consumers at the low voltage end of the network. This is where Demand Diversification Services (DDS) come in.

DDS focus on distributing energy demand more evenly to maximise network access and reduce the need for interventions. Unlike traditional flexibility services, which are dispatched as needed and aim to shift demand away from peak periods, DDS ensures that demand is not only reduced during peak times but also spread across different periods to prevent everyone from shifting their usage to the same times.

Flexibility Services

Demand Diversification services will allow us to maximise network access and minimise our intervention.

The UK electricity network is adapting to new demands and technologies by trailing innovative methods to manage peak loads and optimise network capacity, including incentivising the scheduling of controllable loads like storage heaters. Currently, two demand diversification services have been identified for trialling:

  • Allocated Capacity

    Each flexibility provider is allocated a Maximum Demand Limit based on units consumed and number of customers in each “zone”.  They commit to manage their local portfolio of demand below that the limit for a fixed period in return for a Service Payment.

    When adding up all the demand limits given agreed and any demand that is expected but not participating in the service this must be below the network capacity in the area.   

  • Dynamic Congestion Response

    Flexibility providers respond to real-time congestion levels on the network, rescheduling controllable loads to avoid periods of high congestion (and high flexibility-prices) and making use of periods of low loading and low wholesale prices.

    Congestion particularly occurs in winter evenings when people have their lights and cooking appliances running simultaneously. We don’t expect these to move, instead believe directly controllable assets such as EVs and storage heaters will be optimized.