Get smart: Why it pays to be better connected

We’re in the midst of an energy crisis, with households facing hikes in the price of gas that will add hundreds of pounds to their annual bills.

But Britain is working to reduce its reliance on gas, which more than three quarters of UK households currently use to keep warm .

That’s because burning gas isn’t just expensive, it’s bad for the environment too, releasing carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to global warming.

Switching to heat pumps powered by renewable electricity is a much better way to heat homes, using less energy, creating less pollution and cutting household bills.

But as we work towards the Government’s target of installing 600,000 heat pumps by 2028, electricity consumption will continue to grow, putting extra pressure on the electrical grid which distributes power to British homes and businesses.

The answer is the smart grid.

What is the smart grid?

The smart grid enables electricity providers and consumers to communicate through the grid.

So, energy suppliers can monitor how much electricity is being consumed, while households can monitor their energy use through their smart meter, all in real time.

This opens the door to ‘time of use’ tariffs, sometimes called off-peak tariffs, which are designed to encourage households to use more energy at quiet times to help balance demand.

The tariffs mean households pay cheaper rates at certain times of day when demand is lower, and higher rates at more popular times, like the early evening peak when many people cook their evening meal.

The electricity firms are happy to reward this kind of behaviour because it smooths out peaks and troughs in demand, making the grid more efficient and resilient to power cuts.

For example, a heat pump can be set up to fill a well-insulated hot water storage tank in the early hours of the morning, taking advantage of the cheapest electricity rates available while ensuring you have plenty of hot water to wake up to.

Or electric vehicle owners can set a timer to charge their car during the cheapest overnight hours, making motoring as efficient as possible.

Smart systems like these can also work to maximise the benefits from energy-saving technologies like solar panels and battery storage, meaning cheaper energy, lower bills and fewer emissions.

Be part of the energy revolution

If this all sounds like something you’d like to get involved in, there are opportunities for innovative housing organisations to become early adopters of this transformative technology.

We’re holding trials up and down the country that you may be able to join, futureproofing your properties and enjoying all the benefits that smarty connectivity can bring.

We can even retrofit a smart connection to heat pumps that have already been installed.

So, please do get in touch if you would like to be part of this exciting new development.

Together we can create the next generation of energy efficient homes that will help insulate families from soaring energy inflation once and for all.

Nick Huston, Future Energy Business Manager, Daikin UK