A new project allowing electric vehicle (EV) drivers to use their domestic electricity tariff for charging away from home has been awarded a grant from Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund.
The funding for Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution will also support new ways of working with smart technology to run a better, more efficient and cost-effective electricity network, and could assist electric vehicle (EV) drivers who currently incur higher costs because they can’t charge their cars at home.
The two projects that have been awarded ‘Discovery’ funding are known as QUIPS and Roaming Meter Point Administration Numbers (MPANs). At the heart of the Roaming MPANs concept is the idea that bill payers could use their domestic electricity tariff wherever they connect to use power, and not just when they’re at home.
This could mean that people who are unable to install an EV charger at home, would no longer be at a financial disadvantage because of the need to use public charging at 20% VAT.
Roaming MPANs would also benefit the operation of the electricity network, it said, as it would encourage people to use public EV charging during off-peak hours overnight, when demand for electricity is generally much lower.
Project partners for the scheme include CENEX (The Centre of Excellence for Low-Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies), Charge My Street, EDF Energy and Smart DCC.
In addition, funding was also given to the University of Strathclyde’s Quantum Inspired Power System – or QUIPS – project will set out to streamline the process of increasing network capacity – and making the system ever-more efficient – while at the same time lowering costs.
The growing uptake of Low-Carbon Technologies (LCTs) like EVs, heat pumps and solar panels is placing more demand for clean power on the local electricity networks near where people live and work. The modelling and projections QUIPS will enable means the best, most-efficient use of the network can be made, without incurring increased computing-related costs.
Frank Clifton, SSEN Distribution’s Innovation Manager, said:
“With one pound in every five on electricity bills going towards the cost of operating and improving the network, our innovation team is always looking for new ways to run it safely, efficiently, and in a cost-effective way.
“Sales of EVs rose by more than 44% in July 2026, compared with the same month last year, so it’s incumbent on network operators like us to respond to this consumer trend, by doing what we can to help make the charging and running of these cars cheaper, and more straightforward. This is especially important for drivers who can’t charge at home. Roaming MPANs proposes an elegant, simple solution to reduce the disadvantages these motorists currently face, while also supporting wider aims to decarbonise transportation.
“Finding a way to help these households charge at lower cost during off-peak hours is also good for the more-efficient use of the network, and the QUIPS project, which has also successfully applied for Discovery funding, will pursue further benefits in this field. By harnessing the power of Quantum computing, new insights into electricity use will emerge. This means the network can be deployed even more efficiently, while deferring the need for some physical network upgrades, and the costs associated with these.
“As ever, I’m grateful to our project partners for their creativity and support that’s helped secure this new funding.”
Image courtesy of Green Car Guide
