the inventor's story
Tanya Ewing - British Female Inventor of the Year 2008
Tanya had the idea for Ewgeco a few years ago when she was suffering from Lyme disease and couldn't work. She explained, "The arrival of a really large gas bill was the moment that I wanted to gain a better understanding of my energy consumption and understand how I could take control of my bills."
"I was 38, and realised that for the last twenty years all I'd done was read my utility meter to get an accurate reading and avoid an estimated bill. Now, I wanted to actually engage with my meter and understand my energy use. I wanted to know how much I would save by turning my radiators down from 3 to 2.5, This in turn inspired me to look at the way my family consumed energy and how much money and C02 emissions we could save by making some simple behavioural changes. "
"I started searching the Internet to buy an energy monitor. I found information about 'smart meters' but I discovered they were really only smart for the utility companies and all the consumer got was a digital display instead of an analogue one."
Tanya had absolutely no experience in electronics, engineering or product development. "I initially thought there had to be existing technology to help people engage with their energy use and understand how to prevent wastage, but I soon realised that there was nothing on the market. That's how Ewgeco was conceived."
"I remembered something my grandfather had said to me when I was young.
My dyslexia meant I never did very well at school I don't think he thought I was particularly bright. He said 'Tanya, you've got to get yourself a patent - that will look after you for the rest of your life. ' Thirty years on I found myself looking at the patent website to see if anyone else had come up with my idea."
"I found a link to the Innovator's Counselling Advisory Service for Scotland, (ICASS) a body funded by the Scottish government and the EU. It offers free advice on whether an idea has mileage."
"Meeting ICASS was the start of my journey. They conducted the initial patent search and then immediately put me in touch with patent lawyers, industrial designers and electronic developers who began to turn the Ewgeco into something that could actually work."
Tanya's first sketches were focussed on the traffic light display. "I really wanted to keep that simple so that children and adults could easily understand how much electricity, water and gas was being used at any moment in time. Ewgeco's green, amber and red bars will also alert people if energy is being used at a time of the day when it is not expected preventing gas leaks or overflowing pipes."
Ewgeco uses artificial intelligence to assess and monitor the energy use in each building based on its size and number of occupants. This uniqueness will help make Ewgeco an integral part of homes and businesses.
Not having the money to build a working prototype, I commissioned a dummy model. This gave people the ability to see what I was trying to achieve with the traffic light effect. Together with information from an electronics expert detailing how it would work, people could really engage with the idea of using colours to see their energy use.
I started off by funding the project myself. I had some savings that I could dip into to, and thankfully my husband was completely behind me. I had no doubt about taking Ewgeco forward. I decided I would rather try than think about what might have been.
At the time I was also undergoing IVF, so I thought I'll see what takes, either I'll have a great invention or a baby. I've now got a healthy son, so I was lucky on both fronts. I was also successful in securing some grant funding then private investment to help me take my vision from the drawing board into reality.
With no experience of taking a product to market, Tanya built a team of people who had the different skills to achieve her goals.
There has been interest in Ewgeco from all over the world. "Only 22% of our website hits from the UK and we have started licensing negotiations that will make it a global product. " says Tanya.
In five years time I think people will look back and think 'how did we live without knowing this information?' Whether it's for the environment or spiralling utility costs, people want to take control and understand how they use and waste energy.
Tanya's story and her passionate belief in her idea and its potential to change people's attitudes and behaviour towards how they use energy has inspired women throughout the UK and overseas.
She was recently a guest speaker at the South African Women's Inventors and Innovators Symposium where she shared the stage with the Deputy President and the Minister for Minerals and Energy.
Adapted from an article in the Observer Book of Inventions - researched by James Fulker
Tanya won the Jupiter 'Big Idea' Category in the Observer Ethical Awards in 2008. To hear what the judges said about Ewgeco click here.
To read an article about Tanya in the 'Mums in Control' magazine click here.