Jamie Hillis, Flexitricity
NESO has been clear: the grid needs flexibility. And it needs industrial flexibility at scale.
Step into any cold store and you are stepping into one of the most energy intensive environments in the modern supply chain. These sites keep our food safe, stabilise global pharmaceutical logistics, and quietly underpin the UK’s cold chain economy.
Quietly being the operative word.
Because while cold stores are essential, operating them is becoming anything but straightforward. Electricity prices remain volatile. Policy is evolving quickly. And the pressure to balance cost, compliance and sustainability is only increasing.
Even as we move toward Clean Power 2030, NESO is forecasting a rise in constraint events as more distributed renewable generation connects to the grid. More clean energy is a good thing. Managing when and how it is used is where it gets interesting.
Across the cold chain, the energy dilemma is clear. But so is the opportunity.
Electricity accounts for roughly 32% of operating costs, often making it the single largest overhead to manage (1). Fixing tariffs can bring certainty, but it can also mean missing out on the upside. At the same time, cold storage sits firmly in the ESG spotlight, with impacts across Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
NESO is increasingly recognising the role flexibility can play here. Shifting consumption away from carbon intensive periods is not just good for the grid. It is becoming part of how businesses demonstrate real, measurable progress.
In a world where competitive advantage comes in many forms, optimising energy use is no longer a nice to have. It is part of the job.
There are also reasons to be optimistic.
- 29% of UK cold stores now have onsite renewable energy, up from 2023. These assets are not just about generation. They open the door to smarter consumption, where businesses can align usage with output and unlock more value from what they already have. (1)
- At the same time, the industry is rethinking temperature standards. A potential shift from -18°C to -15°C might sound minor, but a 3°C adjustment is anything but. It reduces costs and creates real headroom for demand flexibility, without compromising product integrity or compliance. (1)
This is where cold stores come into their own.
Their thermal inertia allows operators to maintain temperature while shifting electrical load, something offices, factories and data centres simply cannot do.
It is a rare capability, and a valuable one for both the grid and the businesses that can harness it.
The challenge is turning that capability into something tangible. It does not have to be.
FlexGO by Flexitricity is designed to make flexibility simple. It opens up access to ad hoc flexibility markets, creating a clear route to revenue without adding operational complexity.
By intelligently adjusting when energy is used, whether to better align with renewable generation or take advantage of lower prices, businesses can reduce costs and unlock new income streams.
With the right monitoring and control in place, cold stores can safely reduce load at the right moments, supporting the grid and generating revenue, all without compromising product safety.
It is a practical way to turn flexibility into something tangible. And importantly, it aligns with emerging policy and supports credible ESG reporting.
Flexibility is not a disruption. It is an upgrade.
With FlexGO, businesses can:
- Earn new revenue
- Reduce costs without changing how they operate day to day
- Strengthen ESG performance and move closer to Net Zero
If flexibility has felt theoretical until now, this is where it becomes real.
Learn more at FlexGO.energy.
(1) Cold Chain report 2026
This article appeared in the May 2026 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.
