News

British Gas Offers AlertMe’s Online and Smartphone Remote Heating Control (12/7/2012)

A revolution in controlling home heating - now efficiency is easier and more convenient than ever

AlertMe, the Smart Home technology company, today announces that its online and Smartphone-enabled Remote Heating Control service is now available in the UK exclusively from British Gas.

Based on the AlertMe Connected Home platform, Remote Heating Control is a key application for home heating efficiency and makes working out thermostatic settings and programmes easy. It allows the user to set their weekly heating schedule to match their lifestyle but also alter or override the settings on the go via a web interface, Smartphone app or even by text message.

The new service, which only requires a home fixed broadband connection*, is priced from £149** and includes a wireless-enabled programmable thermostat, a home hub and includes professional installation.

Remote Heating Control is one of a range of affordable services that can be delivered over the AlertMe platform, which allows consumers to monitor, control and intelligently automate a range of devices in the home via a single user interface and log in. The platform is also designed to work with a wide range of third party devices in the home, allowing the user to build and extend their own personal Connected Home ecosystem.

Mary Turner CEO of AlertMe says “Today’s typical consumer is time starved and cash limited. They are motivated by services that provide convenience without sacrificing comfort and efficiency. They’re already connected to most of the things that matter to them via the web or Smartphone. Remote Heating Control provides a first step in connecting to the home and in taking control of heating, which is a major expenditure in the home.”

AlertMe’s strategy to partner with tier one companies in key markets and territories means it has the opportunity to reach a large number of customers through channels they trust and at the same time, help partners to transform the way they engage with customers.

British Gas is the leading supplier of energy in the UK serving ten million homes. It also has the largest field engineering force in the country with around 10,000 engineers. Remote Heating Control will be offered as a standalone product and bundled with heating installation and maintenance services.

Dean Keeling, Managing Director of British Gas Smart Homes, says: “Remote Heating Control is a key product in our Smart Homes hub-based services proposition. For British Gas this is another important milestone in our journey to help change the way our customers use energy.”

The potential impact of Remote heating control is expected to be significant:

• 58% of the energy used in UK homes is spent on space heating† and therefore more efficient use can have the greatest impact.
• British Gas research shows that households that leave their boiler on while at work or away for the weekend pay on average £140 extra a year.
• In addition to this, many homes with programmable thermostats just don’t get to grips with using them effectively - a 2010 US study by University of California - Berkeley and the US Institute for Energy and Environment found that 89% of consumers admit they rarely or never use their programmable thermostats to set a daily or weekly schedule††.
• Following a recent TSB-funded (Technology Strategy Board) British Gas/AlertMe trial, 95% of participants found the AlertMe online dashboard easy and intuitive to use. Those with Smartphones logged in most regularly and one participant commented that “this will revolutionize the way we use home heating”.

Notes:
*The AlertMe hub connects via an Ethernet cable to the home broadband router. The service therefore requires a fixed home broadband connection, a spare port on the router and a spare plug socket close to the router.

**Cost £149 when purchased with a new central heating installation and £199 for other existing British Gas customers, £229 for new customers. Cost includes installation.

†Energy Saving Trust

††2010 study by University of California - Berkeley and the US Institute for Energy and Environment found that 89% of people rarely or never use their programmable thermostat to set a weekday or weekly schedule and 54% simply use them as on/off switches.

AlertMe recently announced that it will be providing smart meter data services to British gas that will enable the Utility to provide its customers with Personalised Energy Efficiency reports and advice on saving energy and money. This service will be rolled out to all customers with smart meters from the autumn.

www.britishgas.co.uk/remote
www.alertme.com