Smart Secure Electricity Systems (SSES) Programme: First Phase Energy Smart Appliances Regulations

Overview

We have published the draft SI for the first phase of our Energy Smart Appliances regulations, informed by stakeholder feedback over the 2024 and 2025 SSES Programme consultation cycle. 

This SI is Phase 1 of our plan to regulate ESAs. This draft SI includes regulations that:

• Introduce minimum smart functionality, safety, grid stability requirements, and cyber and physical security requirements for all relevant ESAs.
• Make several incremental amendments to EVSCP requirements which will form part of the ESA regulations, thereby creating a single regulatory framework for smart appliances.
• Introduce a smart mandate for certain electrical heating appliances. 
• Introduce a definition of battery energy storage systems (BESS) used in domestic and small non-domestic settings. 

We will take forward a second phase of legislation later in this Parliament. This second phase  will further protect consumers who choose to participate in CLF by ensuring a base level of interoperability, giving consumers the confidence that the ESAs they purchase can be used with different FSPs, should they decide to switch. 

We currently plan to lay Phase 2 regulations in Parliament in 2027 . These regulations will also be subject to public consultation.

This consultation sets out what the draft Energy Smart Appliances regulations aim to achieve and seeks stakeholder views on the extent to which the draft regulations achieve the policy intent set out in the April 2025 government response.

What happens next

Following the conclusion of this consultation window – 5 February 2026 – government will analyse all responses received.

We will, following this analysis and if necessary, amend the regulations to reflect consultation feedback. Our aim will be to produce as clear and coherent set of regulations as practicable, which are workable for industry while creating a technical and regulatory framework that helps reduce peak electricity usage, reduces consumer bills and protects the grid.

We expect to be ready to lay these regulations in Parliament in Q2 2026, allowing approximately six weeks for the affirmative procedure that the regulations will be subject to before they are made and become law (subject to Parliamentary timelines). When laying the final regulations in Parliament we will also publish a short response document which will include a short analysis of responses.