At Flex Day 2025, participants explored what it will take to make flexibility a routine, practical, and trusted part of New Zealand’s power system. Three roundtable sessions focused on:
Across the discussions, two themes emerged, the What and the How of flexibility.
Build customer trust*
Participants agreed that earning trust is essential. Clear, transparent communication about benefits, privacy, and fairness will help people feel secure in adopting flexibility. A “trusted translator” or independent voice could bridge the gap between technical systems and everyday users.
Enable meaningful engagement
People want to know what flex means for them — what it is, what they gain, and how it works. Engagement should answer these questions clearly and be available when people are curious or ready to act.
Create clear propositions
Customer propositions are key to unlocking flexibility. They should make complex systems simple, highlight tangible benefits, and show how customers’ actions create value. Clarity and fairness are critical for building confidence in flex offers.
Make flexibility standard
Flex-capable products should become the norm, with easy connectivity and clear standards. Electricians, retailers, and consumer advocates will play important roles in helping customers choose the right products.
Ensure seamless integration
Integration should be straightforward for both people and installers. Standardised processes, clear guidance, and strong technical support can reduce complexity and make flexibility easier to adopt.
Provide strong support
Participants emphasised the need for reliable technical assistance and a clear point of contact for customers. Without it, trust in flexibility could quickly erode.
Flexibility will succeed only if it’s trusted, easy, and rewarding. The insights from Flex Day 2025 highlight the importance of building confidence, simplifying participation, and supporting people at every step.
*The call to ‘build consumer trust’ can be reframed as ‘address customer concerns’ that they will be worse off by saying yes to flex. This reframing more closely aligns with the insight that most people do not believe the electricity sector is doing the right thing by the people it serves.
These lessons and insights will guide the FlexForum’s ongoing work to help Aotearoa’s energy sector realise the full value of flexible resources.
Read the full paper with more information here.
