Residential consumers are moving to the center of electricity systems and their flexibility is seen as a key resource to integrate renewable energy sources and support the grid. However, residential flexibility capacities are not homogeneous, as they depend on household appliances, comfort patterns, occupancy, and climate conditions. Here, we calculate the technical flexibility capacities of 45 consumer types in mainland Spain, organised according to income and regional criteria. We show that flexibility gaps exist at both regional and socioeconomic (income) levels with flexibility differences of up to 10 times more capacity between the household groups from the lowest to the highest capacities. These geographical and socioeconomic gaps in flexibility can lead to distortions in national markets and have the potential to exclude citizens from the provision of flexibility services. Our results show in quantitative terms that a consumer-centered approach without considering correcting measures nor these gaps in drafting energy policies may lead to increasing inequality levels in the residential sector. Under an economic competitive paradigm, households with lower income levels or located in regions with lower flexibility potential may be excluded from the provision of flexibility to the detriment of households with larger potential, raising justice concerns in a flexibility-based energy transition.

居民消费者正转向电力系统的中心，他们的灵活性被视为整合可再生能源和支持电网的关键资源。但是，住宅的灵活性并不相同，因为它们取决于家用电器，舒适度，居住情况和气候条件。在这里，我们根据收入和地区标准对西班牙大陆的45种消费者类型的技术灵活性进行了计算。我们表明，在地区和社会经济（收入）水平上都存在灵活性差距，从最低到最高的住户群体之间的灵活性差异最多可达家庭能力的10倍。灵活性方面的这些地理和社会经济差距可能导致国家市场扭曲，并有可能使公民无法提供灵活性服务。我们的结果从数量上表明，以消费者为中心的方法既不考虑纠正措施，也没有考虑起草能源政策中的这些差距，可能会导致居民部门的不平等程度加剧。在经济竞争范式下，收入水平较低或处于较低灵活性潜力地区的家庭可能会被排除在提供灵活性之外，而这不利于潜力较大的家庭，从而在基于灵活性的能源过渡中引发了司法关注。我们的结果从数量上表明，以消费者为中心的方法既不考虑纠正措施，也没有考虑起草能源政策中的这些差距，可能会导致居民部门的不平等程度加剧。在经济竞争范式下，收入水平较低或处于较低灵活性潜力地区的家庭可能会被排除在提供灵活性之外，而这不利于潜力较大的家庭，从而在基于灵活性的能源过渡中引发了司法关注。我们的结果从数量上表明，以消费者为中心的方法既不考虑纠正措施，也没有考虑起草能源政策中的这些差距，可能会导致居民部门的不平等程度加剧。在经济竞争范式下，收入水平较低或处于较低灵活性潜力地区的家庭可能会被排除在提供灵活性之外，而这不利于潜力较大的家庭，从而在基于灵活性的能源过渡中引发了司法关注。