University of Reading and British Gas Trading Limited KTP24_25 R4

Weather forecasters and energy traders are sitting down together to turn long-range weather predictions into cheaper, greener electricity bills. The problem is straightforward: Britain’s power grid increasingly runs on wind and solar, but the weather can change faster than the grid can adapt. Energy companies currently buy power on short-term markets, paying a premium for uncertainty. This project embeds academic meteorologists inside a major energy supplier—British Gas—to use sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts (predictions weeks to months ahead) as a tool for reducing that uncertainty. If it works, the impact is concrete. Lower market risk means lower commodity costs, which means more competitive prices for households. Greener tariffs become easier to offer because the grid can absorb more renewable generation without scrambling for backup. The energy system becomes more resilient, smoothing the transition away from fossil fuels. This is not fundamental science—it is an applied collaboration that takes existing forecasting knowledge and puts it directly into commercial decision-making. The result could quietly change something most people never think about: how the electricity that powers their homes is bought, priced, and sourced.