UK electricity provider E.On Next has announced a smart energy pilot to help households earn more from their energy.

The first-of-its-kind pilot combines smart automation with real-time pricing to help solar households manage and store energy efficiently, unlocking the potential to earn from their energy use.

E.On Next is inviting up to 1000 UK households with solar panels and battery systems to take part in the smart energy pilot, Next Solar Max, designed to help them take control of their energy use and unlock new earning potential.

Next Solar Max is the UK’s first combined dynamic electricity tariff and intelligent home energy management service designed for homeowners with existing solar and battery systems. The pilot, which will last for one year, aims to change the way UK households interact with energy.

By combining smart automation with real-time electricity pricing, Next Solar Max helps households make the most of their solar and battery systems. Users benefit from half-hourly wholesale electricity prices, allowing them to charge their batteries from the grid when prices are low and sell stored energy back to the grid when prices are high, all managed automatically by the system.

Powered by AI from E.On Next’s partners at Amber, an Australian energy platform, the system learns from each household’s energy habits, forecasts solar generation and tracks real-time energy prices. It then creates personalised energy plans to optimise energy use tailored to each household’s lifestyle and energy patterns.

Users can monitor and manage their energy plans through E.On Next’s app, which provides transparency and control. They can view their live prices, track how their battery and solar system are being managed, and override automated settings at any time to suit their needs.

“To build a sustainable energy future, flexibility must be at the heart of how we generate, manage and use power,” said Chris Norbury, CEO of E.On in the UK. That’s what we’re delivering with Next Solar Max. In partnership with Amber, we’re giving customers intelligent tools that respond to their energy needs in real time, making it easier than ever to get the most from their solar and battery systems. This pilot is a powerful step towards a smarter, more responsive energy system that works for everyone.”

The pilot has been developed by the Growth Studio, E.On UK’s innovation incubator, which creates ideas to help users thrive in the energy transition. The team leveraged learnings from the Australian market, where Amber has been in operation since 2018, to support a seamless experience for UK households.

E.On Next (www.eonnext.com) has begun emailing eligible customers inviting them to take part in the first phase of the pilot. To be eligible, households must already own and operate both solar panels and a battery storage system. Interested households should visit form.typeform.com/to/X4qF6NnJ.

Amber (www.amber.com.au) is an Australian technology company and electricity retailer with a mission to shift the world to 100% renewables.