AlertMe puts buzz in British Gas’ Hive
British Gas has unveiled the next generation of smart heating for the home based on clean technology from Cambridge UK business AlertMe, says businessweekly.co.uk.
AlertMe says the smart solution helps consumers take control of over 80 per cent of energy used in the home.
The Smart Heating Control service encompasses hot water control and has been deployed by British Gas for its new Hive Active Heating.
Hive allows customers to manage, control and schedule their home heating and hot water over the internet or on their smartphone for both maximum comfort and efficiency.
Heating and hot water account for 85 per cent of the energy used in UK homes, so better management and control could significantly reduce waste and save money without sacrificing levels of home comfort.
Mary Turner, CEO of AlertMe said: “It’s not just about saving money or having a better relationship with your thermostat and home heating. The simplicity and convenience is having control in the palm of your hand wherever you are, whether that’s delayed at the airport, in the pub with friends or even at home on your sofa. It’s the way forward.”
The integration of AlertMe’s new solution into the nextgen British Gas play is an industry winner as far as Bill Ablondi, director of strategy analytics’ Smart Home Strategies advisory service is conerned.
He said: “Adding the ability to manage the second largest component of energy consumption in UK households will enhance the attractiveness of this new service dramatically.
“We forecast 6.3 million homes in Britain will have smart devices, systems or services by 2018 and 5.2 million of those will have home energy management systems.
“We polled more than a million online households in the UK and over a quarter reported that they are willing to pay for remote energy management services for efficiency, comfort and most of all, convenience.”
Ablondi says that while some people will think using a smartphone to manage heating is a gimmick for geeks he sees the smartphone as the control panel for managing one of the most important things in their life – their home.
“People already use them for monitoring and managing their personal and business communications, bank accounts, calendars, travel plans… why not their homes? Hive is taking another step to putting the home on the phone.”