Ken McCorkindale, Ewgeco’s Co-founder and Technical Director, delivered a seminar on the use of smart technology for reduced energy consumption at EcoBuild in London last week.

His presentation focused on existing energy reduction technologies, how these interfaces will evolve with smart meter roll-out and the impact that this will have on the everyday lives of consumers.

The key points outlined in Ken’s seminar were:

• Well-designed displays and online interfaces that help consumers understand energy   consumption, such as Ewgeco, are already available and can be used already ahead of the smart meter roll-out

•These systems are able to connect to older meters and smart meters to provide useful information to consumers now

•The planned smart meter system will incorporate In-Home Displays (IHDs) and Consumer Access Portals (CAPs) which will provide consumers with information from the smart meter.

•The Consumer Access Portal will provide a means of communicating with other devices in the home such as phones and tablets but also smart appliances and controls.

•Smart meter data via smart apps will be used to empower consumers to choose how they use energy

•Consumers will be able to give up some of their control of appliances to their supplier in return for better tariffs

•Suppliers will need to find ways of rewarding energy efficient behaviour in the customers.

Ewgeco was invited to speak at the high profile conference, the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, as a founding member of The Consumer Energy Display Industry Group (CEDIG). Established in November 2011, CEDIG’s purpose is to make energy visible to consumers and Ewgeco is supporting the group in achieving this.

For more information about CEDIG visit www.beama.org.uk

New Ewgeco study: Real-time energy monitor ‘could cut gas bills by 20%’

UK households could significantly cut their energy bills by using a real-time energy monitor, a new study suggests.

A team from Edinburgh Napier University assessed the performance of 65 housing association homes, all of which were pre-fitted with a Ewgeco real-time energy monitor.

The results of the six month trial showed that those that used the Scottish firm’s award-winning device consumed up-to 20% less gas than other households in the study.

Award winning Ewgeco, the world’s first and only real time energy monitor that provides a ‘live’ display of electricity, gas, water and renewable energy consumption simultaneously is being integrated into new homes throughout the UK.

With a number of early adopters including Perthshire Housing Association and Dunedin Canmore Housing Association it is feasible that Ewgeco will become a familiar fixture in new homes all over the country with increased demand driven by both national standards and the desire to reduce fuel bills and CO2 emissions. David Tibbs, Partner at Oliver and Robb Architects, commented: “The Ewgeco Energy Monitoring System is a powerful tool. It can be used to great effect in helping those who live in affordable housing to reduce their energy consumption and to monitor the impact of renewable technologies installed to achieve the Code for Sustainable Homes”

The Ewgeco energy management system enables users to proactively reduce their bills and lower their carbon footprint. The intuitive display monitor is installed in the home and allows users to actually see their energy use for the entire property or by individual appliance, and has the ability to monitor electricity, water, gas and any of the renewable installations new house builders are adopting. The system provides users with the means to begin the behavioural changes required to proactively reduce their energy consumption in real time and then monitor the information on a user friendly web site called “My Ewgeco”.

Ewgeco are also receiving very positive feedback from new users.  The Dunedin Housing Association commented; “The residents were excited at the prospect of having the ability to visually monitor electricity and gas, as well as being given the power to manage their consumption”

Previously Ewgeco had been predominantly installed in businesses and council properties to monitor and manage the amount of energy used to significantly assist in lowering utility bills. However huge growth and demand from developers of sustainable homes has seen Ewgeco also focussing on the new build and refurbished residential property sector.

The Code for Sustainable Homes is one significant driving force behind the increased interest in Ewgeco. The Code, launched in December 2006, is “the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes”. The government introduced the code in support of the target that all new homes will be zero carbon from 2016, and it rates a new home against nine categories of sustainable design, which now includes energy as a category.

In simple terms the Code aims to lower domestic running costs through greater energy and water efficiency and therefore helping to reduce fuel poverty. Installing a Ewgeco energy monitor is a cost effective way of obtaining maximum points in this energy sector for Housing Associations and sustainable developers, and is a proactive solution towards achieving the behavioural change necessary to achieve an energy efficient lifestyle.

Another factor behind Ewgeco’s popularity is the government’s target of achieving a UK wide roll out of Smart Meters by 2020. While the Smart Meters will speak directly to the utility companies and eliminate the need for estimated bills, Ewgeco sits within the living space of the home, much like central heating controls, and offers far greater functionality than a Smart Meter. Ewgeco displays a household’s actual energy usage and converts that into savings per pound, with the ability to change tariffs on the display. The Ewgeco display unit is an attractive and intuitive portable device that sits within the home and is Smart Meter ready, and will work hand in hand with the government’s solution. What’s more being completely independent of the utility providers, users can have more confidence that their energy usage data provided by Ewgeco is accurate and reliable.

Ewgeco will be exhibiting at the Chartered Institute of Housing 2010 Conference and Exhibition between the 22^nd and the 24^th of June at the Harrogate International Centre. The conference is fully focused on improving the housing and communities of the UK and this year’s event is expected to be more powerful than any previous year, with a number of high profile speakers and debates. Ewgeco will be at stand 326, in the Kings Suite.

About Ewgeco

Ewgeco was the brainchild of entrepreneur Tanya Ewing who decided to develop the system after discovering the difficulties in managing her family’s energy usage and utilities in her own home.

Tanya, who is based in Perth, Scotland, made the incredible journey from local housewife to UK inventor of the year (2008) in the space of only a few years. Having previously worked as a dental nurse and for AA insurance, she has no background in product design or engineering.

What makes her story even more unique is that she suffers from Lyme disease which she contracted in 1999. However she has fought through adversity to conceive the award winning Ewgeco energy monitor, and went into development with experienced product designer Kenneth McCorkindale. Together they launched the Ewgeco prototype in 2007 at the Alba Centre in Livingston, Scotland and the business has gone on to win a number of awards including Barclay’s Best New Business Award, a Spirit of Scotland Award and National Winner of the e-On Energy Lab.

Ewgeco is manufactured in Scotland and is pursuing an ambitious global growth and development strategy.