Developing trend of domestic electricity tariffs in Great Britain

Household flat rate electricity tariffs have been ongoing for decades in the UK. The fitness of this type of tariffs is challenged in the new smart grid and smart metering environment, where demand responses are expected to play an important role to support the energy markets and the network. Generally speaking, most advanced electricity tariffs to date aim to reduce energy prices in a competitive electricity market. This paper reviews a range of electricity tariffs exercised by major suppliers in the UK and their associated drawbacks. The need for further development in electricity tariffs is analyzed with an aim to support suppliers undergoing innovations to provide various tariffs for different types of customers to maximize their participations.