E.ON has announced a partnership with technology firm GreenWave Reality that should facilitate the development of ‘smart’ homes.
The roll-out of energy smart meters across the UK has long been an objective of government, which aims to ensure that the devices are installed in more than 30 million homes in the country by 2020. Although the project is estimated to cost almost 12 billion, the consensus among politicians and energy experts is that smart meters will revolutionise the way people use energy at home, enabling them to save money by becoming more energy efficient.
By partnering with GreenWave Reality, which manufactures smart technology, E.ON aims to bring additional innovation to UK homes, making them both smarter and greener.
Chris Rimmer, a programme manager at E.ON, explained: “Our innovative partnership with GreenWave Reality is helping us understand how consumers can manage their lives through smart home technology that is simple and easy to use”.
Developed by GreenWave Reality, Smart Home technology was installed in 75 domestic properties in Milton Keynes twelve months ago as part of an initiative called Thinking Energy. The results of the trial have so far been encouraging. After one year, more than 75 per cent of homes had changed their energy habits, whilst many shaved around 200 off their electricity bill.
The main benefit of using GreenWave Reality’s smart technology is that households can enjoy secure, real-time monitoring (via web browser or smartphone app) of energy usage. Individual electrical appliances and connections are monitored to provide a detailed analysis for consumers, enabling them to identify energy-inefficient devices and replace them if necessary. Usage habits also tend to be shaped by real-time monitoring, encouraging households to conserve more energy by turning off appliances, shutting down PCs and so on.
Smart Home technology is also capable of monitoring gas consumption, so households should be able to control their central heating systems in the same way that they are able to monitor electrical appliances. E.ON and GreenWave Reality are also exploring other energy-saving technologies, including Smart Thermostats, solar PV and Connected Lighting.
Mr Rimmer added: “The GreenWave Reality platform is a great fit to meet E.ON’s objectives. We’re focused on deepening our understanding of the future of energy use in the home”.
