OVO Energy and tado° lead first trial linking smart meter with a smart thermostat to early beta testers
In an industry first, OVO Energy will link a member’s smart meter to a tado° Smart Thermostat. Industry breakthrough is the result of a partnership between two European startups working to provide consumers with the information they need to manage their energy at home and therefore reduce their carbon footprint.
Through the My OVO app, for the first time ever customers will be able to see exactly how much they could save by adjusting the heating in their home through smart meter data on their energy usage.
Linking smart meter data to smart thermostats is a first step in providing market leading transparency and control to help customers understand the cost of their energy usage, and therefore reduce their overall carbon footprint.
With boiler usage likely to rise 56% this winter, as a result of people working from home, the ability to better manage home energy use has never been more vital for households.
London, 10 December 2020 - OVO Energy has debuted an industry first proposition for a small group of its eligible members. Emails have been sent this week to beta testers offering them a tado° Smart Thermostat that is linked to their smart meter and able to extrapolate data to provide bespoke advice on how much money can be saved. By reducing the amount of energy used, consumers will also reduce their carbon footprint. The initial beta test will be rolled out and available to all OVO Energy members in the UK in Autumn 2021.
Once a tado° Smart Thermostat has been installed by an OVO Energy smart meter engineer, members will be able to sync their tado° account with their OVO Energy account. This enables the energy usage to be matched against the choice of temperature controls. The 2nd phase of the beta trial will involve self installation of the smart thermostat.
Additional features include:
Scheduling: Schedule, and control of heating and hot water from anywhere easily, via the My OVO and tado° app.
Location-based control: Geofencing reminds members to turn down the heating when the last person leaves home, and to turn it up in time for the first person’s arrival.
Weather forecasts: tado° Smart Thermostats adapt to local weather to maximise heating efficiency.
Platform compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant are integrated into the tado° Smart Thermostat.
Once installed, a new ‘Smart Thermostat’ option in the My OVO app will appear and provide the member with personalised advice using the data from both devices. For example, based on a member's energy usage in the home, it will be able to tell them the exact amount of money they could save if they turned down their heating at specific times of the day.
This winter, boiler usage is likely to rise by 56% due to more people working from home. By being able to see the cost implications of setting various temperatures, OVO Energy members will, for the first time ever, see the value of temperature controls. And because using less energy means less carbon, members will also reduce their carbon footprint.
Jessica Tan, Managing Director of Smart Home, OVO Energy said:
“For too long customers have been in the dark on how much they spend heating their homes. By partnering with tado° Smart Thermostat, we’re going to change that, giving our members ultimate control over their heating and bespoke advice on how to lower the cost of their energy usage and cut carbon. We’re excited about this launch, which is the first of many exciting propositions we’re working on to give consumers the data they need to reduce their overall carbon footprint.”
Toon Bouten, CEO of tado° said:
“Making homes more energy efficient is a key part of lowering carbon emissions and we’re thrilled to partner with OVO Energy. The partnership brings together two companies at the forefront of the digital energy transition and as a cross-manufacturer platform, tado° connects with any kind of heating system to serve all kinds of homes. Together with OVO Energy, we are demonstrating how customer-friendly technology can have a positive impact on the environment as well as home finances and comfort.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information please contact:
OVO:
You can find more detail about the offering here.
Tado:
Eligibility information:
For the BETA launch:
Need to be an OVO member with dual fuel and a Direct Debit set up.
Members must have 12 months or more left on their OVO contract.
England based (Scotland and Wales exempt from BETA).
Existing thermostat and smart meter already installed at the property.
For the BETA phase it will cost £15 per month over a 12 month period. The cost will be added as an additional line within members’ bills.
About OVO Energy
OVO Energy was founded in 2009 and redesigned the energy experience to be fair, effortless, green and simple for all members. Today OVO Energy and its Retail partners serve nearly 5 million members, all striving to deliver more affordable clean energy for everyone. OVO is on a mission through its sustainability strategy Plan Zero to tackle the most important issue of our time; the climate crisis, by bringing our members with us on the journey towards zero carbon living. OVO Energy has committed to being a net zero carbon business and achieve bold science-based carbon reduction targets by 2030, while helping members halve their carbon footprint at the same time.
OVO’s retail businesses include: OVO Energy, Boost, Spark Energy, CORGI HomePlan and SSE Energy Services.
About tado°
Founded in Munich, 2011, tado° is the European leader in intelligent home climate management. With its Smart Thermostats for heating and cooling, tado° works as your Climate Assistant with Skills such as Geofencing, Weather Adaptation, Open Window Detection, Air Comfort, and more. Having secured over USD 100m in funding and with 180 employees, tado° reshapes the way energy is consumed at home for more comfort, savings, and wellbeing. www.tado.com