We've been awarded new grants from the energy regulator Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund. These could help level the playing field for EV drivers who currently incur higher costs because they can’t charge their cars at home. And the funding will also support work using smart technology to run a better, more efficient and cost-effective electricity network for the benefit of customers.

The two projects that have been awarded ‘Discovery’ funding are known as QUIPS and Roaming MPANs.

MPAN stands for Meter Point Administration Number. Every single connection to the network – whether it’s a home or a business – has one of these 13-digit references to identify it.

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 may mean that people who are unable to install an electric vehicle (EV) charger at home, whether that’s due to space constraints or the nature of their current electricity supply, would no longer be at a financial disadvantage because of the need to use public charging.

Almost one quarter of homes in England are terraced; in Scotland the figure is only slightly lower. Meanwhile more than one third of residences in Scotland are classed as flats. Common to these types of homes is a lack of off-street parking. Furthermore, many large older properties, and homes in modern high-rise developments don’t have a place to charge an EV either. With a total of 40 percent of homes falling into this category, the need to find a solution to level the playing field for lower-cost charging is a pressing one.

As well as delivering cost and convenience benefits for customers, Roaming MPANs would also benefit the operation of the electricity network, as it would encourage people to use public EV charging during off-peak hours overnight, when demand for electricity is generally much lower.

We are being proactive in delivering upgrades to the networks going into peoples’ homes, to help residents adopt low-carbon technologies. But many households may face barriers, especially if they have no off-street parking. Roaming MPANs offers a way to help these people charge up in a cost-effective way.

And the shift of some demand to off-peak hours could reduce the need to reinforce the network and the associated costs involved.

One of the other undertakings during this new project phase will be to work with charge point owners and energy suppliers to establish technical and commercial ways of achieving Roaming MPANs’ aims.

Project partners: CENEX (The Centre of Excellence for Low-Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies), Charge My Street, EDF Energy and Smart DCC.

SIF funding awarded: £166,092

Meanwhile, the Quantum Inspired Power System - or QUIPS - project is harnessing the power of the latest technology to make it cheaper and simpler to analyse the critical data that informs how network operators like SSEN manage and develop the electricity system.

In this project, our experts 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.  Gaining the ability to model the network efficiently using quantum techniques means we will be able to evaluate more scenarios in greater detail. This will ensure optimised use of the capacity available to support the accelerated connection of LCTs, without the need for as much new network infrastructure.

Project partners: The University of Strathclyde

SIF funding awarded: £134,889

These two projects have been successful at the Strategic Innovation Fund’s cycle six ‘Discovery’ phase. Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

Frank Clifton, SSEN Distribution’s Innovation Manager, says:

“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 the previous 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.”