The role of controllable household appliances for effective uptake of digital services by consumers and communities in the energy transition

Digitalisation is transforming modern energy systems into complex socio-technical ecosystems where interconnected devices, user practices and governance structures must be considered together. To analyse this landscape and address relevant research questions concerning controllable household appliances, a multilevel conceptual framework has been developed by organising the investigation into five interconnected thematic domains: digital control of the appliances, flexibility analysis, user engagement, management by aggregators, and relations with energy communities. Through discussions of selected scientific articles and real-world projects, this article reviews the categorisation of household appliances, methods for controlling them, and indicators to assess load-shifting capabilities and flexibility. It then addresses user engagement based on users’ behaviour, active role, and comfort. Operational strategies for aggregators are identified to manage controllable appliances, develop suitable business models, and participate in flexibility markets. Finally, the deployment of smart household appliances within energy communities is discussed as a further opportunity to involve more users and share their available resources. The synthesis distinguishes comparatively established approaches from promising but still weakly validated combinations of appliance types, control strategies, engagement mechanisms, and aggregator models.