In the UK, homes with 'zero electricity bills' have become a reality.
This is thanks to the 'Zero Bill' homes created by the energy company Octopus Energy.
No matter how much you run the air conditioner, the electricity bill is zero! It's true.
What makes these homes special?
Octopus has designed these homes so that no electricity bill is incurred by combining residential solar panels, energy storage systems (batteries), and an artificial intelligence (AI) power management system.
After construction companies build the homes, Octopus upgrades them directly to meet Zero Bill specifications.
As of 2025, about 130 households are operating, and the company plans to supply 100,000 homes across the UK by 2030.
Is the bill really zero?
Yes!
Zero Bill homes guarantee free electricity for at least 10 years.
Doesn't Octopus lose money? In fact, the company saves electricity and even makes a profit.
They generate revenue by storing electricity when sunlight is strong and selling the surplus when prices are high.
All these complex power flows are managed by Octopus's AI.
The AI is called 'Kraken'
'Kraken' is Octopus's proprietary AI system, which initially started as customer service automation software.
Now, it has evolved into an intelligent AI that efficiently manages the power grid based on electricity demand data from millions of households.
Currently, it manages electricity for 70 million households worldwide.
Octopus Energy's power grid distribution service managed by the Kraken AI system. Octopus Energy website
원본보기 아이콘Continuing to evolve
Octopus is also working on the 'Faraday' project.
This project involves training Kraken using 'virtual simulations' of various electricity demand and supply scenarios.
Thanks to this, Kraken can respond quickly to situations such as sudden spikes in electricity demand, surplus energy, and price surges.
Global attention
Competing energy companies such as EDF (United States), Tokyo Gas, and National Grid (North America) are also purchasing and using Kraken.
The British media estimates Kraken's value at about 18.6 trillion won (10 billion pounds).
There are also plans to spin off Kraken as an independent subsidiary soon.
What about Korea?
In fact, installing 'mini solar panels' in Korea can also reduce electricity bills.
However, there are still no cases where real-time power grid optimization using AI has achieved 'zero bills.'
In the UK, the combination of AI power management, solar panels, and storage systems has ushered in an era of 'zero electricity bills.'
Could such homes become possible in Korea as well?
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Edit Kim Inwook kiminuki@asiae.co.kr
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Reporter Lim Juhyeong skepped@asiae.co.kr
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