Humshaugh Energy Local Management

Exciting news: Humshaugh has been chosen to be part of one of four UK innovative energy trials!

Humshaugh Energy Local Management (HELM) Trial

Exciting news: Humshaugh has been chosen to be part of one of four UK innovative energy trials!

Over the next 12 months, your village will help shape the future of local electricity supply. There are many ways to get involved, and we’d love for you to be part of it.

HELM Transparent Logo 650px

What’s this all about?

Discovery

We are finding out how our community uses electricity, including when and where it is needed most.

HEMS

To do so, we are trialling new Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) in homes and businesses to develop innovative ways of controlling electricity use to save money, improve resilience and reduce carbon emissions.

Why are we doing the trial?

Electricity demand

Electricity demand is increasing dramatically due to the expanding use of electric vehicles and heat pumps. This trend will accelerate over the coming years, putting increasing strain on the national electricity grid.

Smart Controllers

This trial will increase our understanding of how smart controllers can help manage local electricity demand and potentially reduce the need for new electricity lines, pylons and substations, which will help keep energy costs down in the future.

Why get involved?

Join

Join the trial to discover how we can better control, generate, store, and share electricity at the local level.

Reward

Be rewarded for taking part with monthly incentives, such as vouchers redeemable in major supermarkets.

Who can be involved in the trial?

Everyone living in Humshaugh Parish

Everyone living in Humshaugh Parish, whether in social housing, rented accommodation, or their own home, is welcome to learn about the project and follow its progress.

Participate

If you would like to participate in the project, the HELM team will explain ways you can contribute and will support you throughout the trial.

What is involved in taking part?

  • By joining HELM, you’ll let us securely track your home’s electricity use for a year. This will help us find smarter ways to manage electricity and in due course reduce costs.
  • The information gathered will be anonymised, so your personal information cannot be made available to anyone.
  • Additionally, you can opt to have some appliances, such as heat pumps, EV chargers, solar systems, and domestic appliances, switched on and off to automatically manage the grid demand locally. You can override the automatic control at any time.
  • The HEMS will be connected to selected equipment within your home for the duration of the trial.
  • You can withdraw from the project at any time.
Solar turbine illustration

Installation of the ENSMARTCTR Unit

if your property is managed as part of our trial, we will install the ENSMARTCTR UNIT. It is a simple operation, this video shows you how it happens.

Take part in the trial

If you are interested in joining the trial, please fill out the form below. We will be in touch as soon as possible.

    Do you live in the Humshaugh Parish?

    Our trial partners

    Who is running the trial?

    A community-driven Community Interest Company (CIC) established in 2020 by residents of the parish of Humshaugh in Northumberland. Their mission: to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across the parish by 2030.

    A provider of Energy and Environmental Consultancy services.

    A provider of smart microgrid and energy management system for homes, businesses and communities.

    The owner and operator of the local grid, which is funding this trial and three others elsewhere.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Please review our FAQs below to find an answer to any questions you may have. If you have a query that is not answered below, please contact trial@humshaughnetzero.org.

    Humshaugh has been chosen to be part of one of four UK innovative energy trials sponsored by Northern Powergrid.
    Humshaugh was chosen because it is a great example of a typical countryside village in the area where Northern Powergrid works. This makes it the perfect place to try out a new, smarter way of managing energy in a community.
    “

    Any ENSMARTCTR HEMS used in the trial will be removed from all properties at the end of the 12-month period.

    There are no associated costs to the householder as part of this trial.

    Yes. If you get a new appliance or low-carbon technology (like solar panels or an electric vehicle charger), let us know. If you agree and it’s compatible, we’ll connect it to the EnSMARTCTR home energy system.

    Please inform the Community Supporters, and you will be withdrawn from the trial, and the ENSMARTCTR HEMS will be removed.

    The trial aims to understand how we can bring together local renewable energy sources, batteries, EV chargers, heat pumps, and other smart energy technologies in homes and community buildings. The goal is to rely less on the national grid and make local energy use more efficient.

    Yes. A participant can withdraw from the trial at any stage. Please note that if a particiant withdraws from the trial incentives will also stop.

    Northern Powergrid is the electricity distribution network operator for the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire. It delivers power safely and reliably to 8 million customers across 3.9 million homes and businesses through its network of more than 63,000 substations and 60,000 miles of overhead power lines and underground cables, spanning some 9,650 square miles. Northern Powergrid has a key role in creating and managing future energy systems that increasingly interact with customers and smart and low carbon technologies.

    This two minute video explains further who Northern Powergrid is.

    Once the controller is installed, you don’t need to change anything.However, if you’d like advice on how you can reduce your energy use during the trial, speak to Humshaugh Net Zero for tips.

    The householder shouldn’t need to interact with the kit as it is controlled remotely. The kit should remain switched on for the duration of the trial.

    Based on your participant survey result the project team will contact you to discuss.

    The household will have full access to their energy consumption data gathered by EnSMART through the app. The project team will also access this data throughout the trial. The anonymised data will be collated with other trial participants’ data and reported to NPg for their experts to analyse and understand how best to reduce peak load.

    The equipment we install is designed to CE standards. It is a prototype to which the initial safety check have been carried out. The device will only be used for the duration of the trial and the project team are responsible for its safe operation.

    Based on your participant survey, a member of the project team will be in touch if your energy tariff may be affected.

    As part of this trial, the project team will look to model data across the whole village.

    This trial runs for 12 months from 1 October 2025 until 30 September 2026

    The aim of the trial is to gather real information on how a community uses electricity. We are trialling automatic controllers in homes and businesses to reduce the peak electricity demand on the local grid.

    The benefits of the trial are to:
    – Manage our local electricity use better,
    – Improve the resilience of the local electricity supply
    – Help tackle the climate emergency

    No, the ENSMARTCTR HEMS will not contribute to an increase to your bills during this trial period.

    We are looking to engage 100 properties in this trial.

    You can find out more information on the trail at our website: humshaughnetzero.org/HELM

    Local project team members from Humshaugh Net Zero will install the ENSMARTCTR HEMS with the householder present at a convenient time.

    This trial will be managed and delivered by partners Ricardo plc, alongside Humshaugh Net Zero CIC and Entrust Microgrid Ltd.

    Ricardo plc C19

    Ricardo plc is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company. With over 100 years of engineering excellence in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering innovative cross-sector sustainable outcomes to support energy transition and environmental services, together with safe and smart mobility. Our global team of consultants, environmental specialists, engineers and scientists solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world. Visit www.ricardo.com

    Humshaugh Net Zero CIC

    Established in 2020, HNZ is a community-driven Community Interest Company (CIC), formed by residents of the parish of Humshaugh in Northumberland: their mission: to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across the parish by 2030.

    Humshaugh—a rural, off-gas-grid community—faces unique energy challenges. HNZ stands out as a successful bottom-up climate initiative, showing how a small village can mobilize, innovate, and deliver impactful local solutions that significantly reduce carbon footprints.

    They also serve as an inspiring model for other communities, offering open access to their knowledge, findings, and history to help others replicate or adapt their approach.

    Entrust Microgrid Ltd

    Founded in December 2018, Entrust Microgrid has been pioneering smart microgrid technologies, focusing on development of smart hybrid DC- and AC-networked microgrids for the built environment. Entrust Microgrid has secured over £10 million grants/funds, contracts and investments, developing Entrust Smart Microgrid system solutions with integrated solar PV/BIPV, battery storage, EV charger and heat pump through smart energy management systems (EMS) for households, businesses and communities. Visit www.entrustmicrogrid.com “

    If you are a tenant of one of the housing associations (Karbon Homes, Home Group, Riverside), you do not need to inform your landlord. If you are a private tenant interested in being involved in this trial, please get in touch via trial@humshaughnetzero.org

    Yes, please reach out to your community supporter, and this can be arranged.
    They are contactable via the below channels
    Email: trial@humshaughnetzero.org
    Phone: 07544 575140

    The ENSMARTCTR HEMS to be installed is called ENSMARTCTR HEMS (Humshaugh Energy Management System).

    There is no foreseen impact on your WiFi speed.

    Humshaugh Net Zero representatives will collect necessary data for the purposes of installations, for example property address, smart meter information, solar panel make and model, etc. This will be stored in a secure database only accessible by project team. Personal data will not be shared with external parties. Data related to electricity usage will be anonymised and shared with NPg. Your written consent will be obtained for this.

    The ENSMARTCTR HEMS will not be able to switch off your electricity supply. Appliances and Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) may be controlled by the EnSmartCTR HEMS, subject to your consent.

    The ENSMARTCTR HEMS will not prevent you from using your electricity as normal if you choose to do so.