For the assessment of 1-h-ahead electrical energy demand, this paper presents an improved backpropagation neural network that has been integrated with a simulated annealing algorithm and a chaos search genetic algorithm. A self-adaptive learning rate and modified momentum factor are suggested to enhance the performance of the traditionally used backpropagation algorithm. For the combination scheme, the initial parameters of the improved backpropagation neural network have been modified through the utilization of the global search capability of the genetic algorithm. This has been enhanced by cat chaotic mapping to increase the genetic algorithm's optimization ability. The strong local search feature of the simulated annealing algorithm has been used to further enhance the solution set that was created by the optimized genetic algorithm. The model is tested for small and large-sized grid data, integrated with renewable sources. The performance of the model is also verified for fluctuating load demand conditions. Furthermore, the proposed model performance is tested for all the four seasons of the year to validate its efficacy during seasonal variations. The results of the proposed technique in all these scenarios show higher prediction accuracy and fast convergence than the existing methods. The acceptable precision of 1-h-ahead load forecast and its adaptation in different load demand conditions determine the usefulness of the proposed model in the modern deregulated power industry. In particular, the model can be effectively implemented for the enhancement of demand response and other dynamic features of the smart grid. © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.