Tesla wins UK energy licence to supply your electricity in the UK but
experts don't think it'll get a smooth ride

Date:
Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:16:15 +0000

Description:
UK energy regulator grants Tesla license to supply electricity, as it moves beyond EVs and into the energy market.

FULL STORY
Energy regulator grants Tesla Energy Ventures license to provide electricity Reports state that Tesla looks to replicate its energy supply business in
Texas
Virtual Power Plant could allow solar owners to feed back into the grid

The British energy regulator Ofgem has granted Tesla Energy Ventures, a unit
of Tesla , a license to supply electricity to both domestic and commercial customers across the UK.

According to Reuters , the move would allow Tesla to expand its business and use its experience with a similar setup in Texas, which uses its solar energy and battery storage business to directly compete with existing energy
suppliers in the UK, such as Octopus Energy, British Gas and EDF. Tesla
doesnt provide data on the number of Powerwall Home Battery Storage Systems
it has sold to UK residents, but the company stated that it had installed one million worldwide at the end of last year.

The units, which see a large battery storage system harness energy from the grid when it is at its cheapest, are not only touted to help reduce energy bills but also protect in the event of a blackout.

When paired with solar panels, users can power homes or the workplace, charge EVs and even feed excess energy back into Teslas Virtual Power Plant,
lowering the cost of energy and allowing some homeowners to generate income.

Currently, Teslas virtual power plant for Powerwall owners is offered through Octopus Energy, but this would change with Ofgems recent ruling.

Analysis: A keen move in a time of energy uncertainty -- Teslas EV
sales have been slipping globally, with a particularly poor performance in
the UK and Europe recently. According to The Society of Motor Manufacturers
and Traders, Teslas UK sales fell 37% from 3,852 to 2,422 in February
compared with the same period last year.

That said, it still has a lot of Tesla owners, many of whom are generally
more willing to embrace new technologies. Its push into the energy sector
could convince an increasing number of owners to install Powerwall and solar
to reduce reliance on the grid and charge their vehicles more cheaply.

However, not everyone is convinced that Tesla will have such an easy time.

Adam Bell, former head of energy at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and now director of policy at consultancy Stonehaven,
told City AM that Tesla is entering a heavily regulated market in which
margins have been squeezed to the narrowest possible extent and in which it faces competitors who have already invested in novel tariff offers.

While most British households are protected from escalating energy costs by price caps and regulated tariffs, this is due to change in July, when the
next adjustment is expected and the government may be forced to step in
should the conflict in the Middle East continue to force prices up.

Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/tesla-wins-uk- energy-licence-to-supply-your-electricity-in-the-uk-but-experts-dont-think-itl l-get-a-smooth-ride

$$
--- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux
* Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/107)