Why stay connected? Understanding customer transitions in the modern energy landscape

The rapid adoption of distributed energy technologies (DET) such as rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and electric vehicles (EVs) is transforming the structure of power systems and the role of customers within them. Traditionally, electricity customers were passive consumers and were fully dependent on the supply of the centralized grid. However, the integration of DET at the household level enables customers to generate, store, and manage electricity. This leads to a gradual transition to more active participation in energy systems. This paper presents a comprehensive review to examine how customer behavior and decision drivers shape the development of integrated household energy systems and influence the relationship between households and the electricity grid. The review identifies key economic, technical, behavioral, and social drivers that influence adoption decisions. It also analyzes how these factors vary across different stages of customer evolution. It shows the transition of households from grid-only consumers to early solar adopters, prosumers, energy managers with storage, and a combination of PV, batteries, and EVs. At each stage, changes in energy awareness, decision-making responsibility, and interaction with the electricity grid influence the energy transition. DET reduces dependence on grid electricity and enables more flexible and strategic energy use. However, most households are still connected to the grid for reliability, backup supply, and energy balance.