Electric Ireland and climote have announced the extension of the ‘Energy Saving Scheme’ which sees the collaboration of the public and private sectors in delivering an innovative energy efficient initiative based on the use of smart technology. The announcement was made today at the 8th annual Energy Action Fuel Poverty Conference, held in Croke Park, and attended by The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D, industry representatives, stakeholders and leading energy provider Electric Ireland.
The ‘Energy Saving Scheme’ will see 5,000 fuel poor homes have their heating controls upgraded. The upgrade will allow homeowners to control their heating timings and temperature via a smartphone, text message or online. This type of technology has been proven to reduce energy consumption by up to 20% every year. The project is a real-life example of how collaboration between Local Authorities and energy providers can bring positive change for the fuel poor.
This ‘Energy Saving Scheme’ is:
- Funded by Electric Ireland with no cost to the Exchequer, Local Authorities or Housing Associations
- Tackles fuel poverty by reducing energy costs by up to 20% every year
- Reduces the energy intensity of the Local Authority housing stock
- Lowers carbon emissions
- Promotes more sustainable energy practices in wider Irish society
Scheme Already Proven to Work
Since 2013, more than 12,000 Local Authority and Housing Association homes nationwide have been upgraded with climote’s remote control heating system. Not only have families in Local Authority homes seen a significant reduction in their energy costs, but crucially, climote’s technology allows its customer support service to resolve 95% of customer issues remotely so families no longer must wait for someone to turn up to fix their heating.
Clúid Housing, Ireland’s largest housing association, has committed to upgrading its entire housing stock by the end of 2020. Brendan Cunningham, Head of Investment Planning for Clúid Housing comments, “climote offers our residents greater control of their heating systems, through both mobile and digital access. Our residents find the controls extremely easy to use, and so are encouraged to adjust their heating without the fear of being overcome by technology. This means that families can reduce the overall heating cost, giving them an affordable and sustainable place to live.”
Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director, Customer Solutions, ESB added, “At Electric Ireland, we are really pleased to announce the continuation of this valuable project which, to date, has helped over 12,000 customers better control their energy use, thereby reducing their bills and at the same time, helping the environment. This is another way in which we support customers who may be struggling with their fuel costs, as well as providing them with the convenience and flexibility of a smart energy controller, and it also underpins our commitment to a low carbon future.”
Eamon Conway, Managing Director of climote comments: “The real benefit for consumers and Government is that the entire scheme is funded by industry. The project focuses on families in the fuel poor category. So, it gives this proportion of society the ability to reduce energy costs by up to 20% every year with little or no intrusion to their home. Installation is complete in 30-40 minutes and each approved installer provides a full demonstration at installation.”