Green Energy Options (geo) welcomes the results of the report recently announced by BEAMA. geo is a leading manufacturer of IHDs as well as home heating control systems.
The report, “Assessing the Use and Value of Energy Monitors in Great Britain”, is the most comprehensive research of its kind to quantify the financial benefits to consumers of the use of energy monitors, and incorporates results from early smart meter deployments in the UK. Based on the average results of trials in Britain and Europe, savings from IHDs are over nine per cent per year for at least three years.
Commenting on the findings, Baroness Verma, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State said:
“Consumer engagement is a key aim of the smart meter programme. We welcome this research which clearly shows the benefits to householders. Energy monitors, giving consumers real-time feedback on their energy use, let them make simple changes to their behaviour and big differences to their bills.”
According to the report, when rolled out to all electricity and gas customers, IHDs are expected to deliver electricity savings amounting to over £2.6bn over three years and around £3.3bn of savings are expected for gas over the same period.
Howard Porter, CEO, BEAMA added:
“The average results of trials in real homes achieved a nine percent reduction in electricity use and, most importantly, these are maintained for at least three years. This puts paid to the sceptics who claim that IHDs will be looked at for a week and then put in a drawer never to be seen again.
“As well as being good news for householders it’s also good news for the environment. The carbon savings for electricity alone account for over eight percent of the annual C02 reductions needed to hit the UK 2018-2022 carbon budget.”
The report also concludes that 70-90% of British consumers who have received IHDs to date are satisfied and most customers feel that they have already reduced energy consumption as a result. Evidence suggests that reductions persist and are not short-term gains only.
geo is not surprised by these results, which confirm the company’s first-hand experience of IHDs and engaging with energy consumers for over eight years. geo’s CEO, Patrick Caiger-Smith, observes that “this report validates the decision to mandate IHDs as part of the smart meter roll out and shows that there is a convincing financial case for providing consumers with real-time energy information. The research shows that IHDs are a really effective first step in helping consumers understand energy expenditure and they complement perfectly some of the new heating and appliance control apps that are coming onto the market now.”
For further information, see www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk and www.comehometocosy.com.
Please click here for a copy of the research publication.
About Green Energy Options (geo)
geo is a consumer engagement company which designs and produces in-home energy and water displays, online services and mobile applications that engage with consumers. geo enable utility suppliers, meter manufacturers and installers to strengthen the relationship with their customers by putting them in control of their energy and water consumption and budgets in a visual, informative and engaging way. geo’s products and services work together with pre-smart and smart meters and even with microgeneration, making an efficient home possible.
About BEAMA
BEAMA provides leadership, expertise and independent influence in the areas of product safety, performance, energy efficiency and sustainability. Members of BEAMA benefit from the organisation's considerable influence on UK and European policy. As BEAMA represents the entire electrotechnical supply chain with its wide range of products we arrange our work around 20 product category groups enabling members to focus on the issues that relate to their products.
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