As Europe electrifies heating, transport and industry, the electricity system will need to become smarter and more flexible.
The European Commission’s Electrification Action Plan recognises that flexibility is essential to manage growing electricity demand, integrate more renewables and keep energy costs under control.
With smart controls, dynamic tariffs and the right market framework, heat pumps can adapt their operation to periods when renewable electricity is abundant, and prices are lower, while maintaining comfort for households and businesses.
The Action Plan proposes measures to make this possible, including reforms to electricity bills and network charges to incentivise flexible and system-friendly use of the grid.
It also includes new and revised network codes to enable the seamless integration of heat pumps, batteries and electric vehicles into the electricity system.
Flexibility will benefit consumers too. By shifting energy use away from peak periods, flexible technologies can help reduce pressure on the grid and limit overall system costs.
For households, this can mean lower energy bills; for the energy system, it means a more efficient way to integrate increasing amounts of renewable electricity.
The Commission also highlights the wider potential of flexibility across industry, data centres, storage and electric vehicles, while aiming to support the deployment of 200 GW of energy storage capacity by 2030.
For EHPA, the message is clear: heat pumps are not only a key technology for clean heating – they are also a valuable flexibility resource for Europe’s future energy system.
The Electrification Action Plan provides the framework to unlock this potential. The next step is ensuring that Member States put the right market rules and incentives in place.
