BritMums, Smarter Living & British Gas

Dana, from British Gas Smart Homes, demonstrating the Smart Meter handsets.

During the last couple of months I have been working with British Gas and BritMums as a Smart Mums ambassador, discussing ways to save energy in the home.  A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to visit the British Gas Headquarters in Staines, for a behind-the-scenes peek at some of the products that are already appearing in homes across the UK.

Moving forward from its traditional business as an energy provider, which historically has been dependent on creating energy from fossil fuels, British Gas is now also focusing on innovations that enable its customers to benefit from renewable energy and have better control of energy usage as well as modernising other aspects of their homes.

The initial focus of the visit was to take a look at the testing lab, where the company calibrates and tests the performance of the Smart Meters that are being installed into customers' homes.  Although they are not legally required until 2019, British Gas has already commenced upgrading properties and has installed over 400,000 units since 2010, offering customers more control over their energy consumption.

The mobile handsets, the latest version of which is pictured above, enable households to monitor their actual expenditure at any given time as well as forecasting the impact of their energy usage on future bills.  This means that customers can visualise the real savings from efforts to reduce their usage, e.g. turning down the heating, improving insulation, or even closing the curtains at dusk. For eco-geeks, the handset also translates the savings into CO2 measurements, so if you're on a carbon diet, the system will help you monitor your goals.

Of course much of this is already achieveable with energy monitors that you can buy off the shelf, but the advantage of a system that is wired into the energy supplier is that it provides such accurate information, that once it's installed and you've had your training session, you can finally wave goodbye to the inconvenience of estimated bills as well as visits from the meter reader.

The rest of the day was filled with introductions to technologies such as those that will allow customers to control their heating remotely, simply by logging onto the Internet or a mobile app.  Making good use of broadband and Wi-Fi technology, British Gas has also diversified into the home security market, with alarms that alert the customer directly if their home is experiencing a break-in or if there is threat of fire, a gas leak, a water leak or carbon monoxide risk. Customers can also configure the Safe & Secure monitoring system remotely and if there are any issues, they will be notified via a mobile update.

If there was a catchphrase that could sum up my day at the company's HQ, it would be "I didn't know British Gas did that!"  And on that very subject, I guess the one thing that appealed to me the most, was the company's investment in developing the Electric Vehicle (EV) market.

One of the key issues that is met by the current EV market, is the perceived limit on mileage. And yes, it can be daunting to think you can only achieve just over 100 miles between recharging.  However, while battery power is being improved and vehicle based technology becomes more efficient, British Gas is striving to develop facilities that will make charging more efficient and easier for EV customers.  This also includes the introduction of a new off-peak saver tariff, which reduces the price of electricity between 8pm-4pm, so it makes it cheaper to charge your vehicle overnight.

British Gas also sells and installs domestic EV chargers for off-road charging, but more interestingly, they are increasingly working with businesses to develop the roll-out of chargers in the workplace as well as public installations in towns and cities.  When combined with Solar PV technology, which can also be installed at a domestic level, it becomes a very exciting proposition indeed.

We were shown a video of Robert Llewellyn demonstrating his car and I confess I watched it with a real touch of envy.




And I must admit, having being driven back to the station in a Nissan LEAF, which was charged by the company's Solar PV unit in the HQ car park, I now want to convert.  However, until the prices of cars fall (despite £5K grants being available), I know I won't be able to.  A pity really, because with a car that's only done 14,000 miles in six years, I know an Electric Vehicle would do me just fine, especially with the thought of banishing the petrol station queue forever.


Of course, being a 'rubbish blogger', I couldn't visit any corporate headquarters without taking note of their waste reduction policies, and it was encouraging to see recycling bins dotted throughout the offices, for paper, plastics and cans, as well as batteries.  And all credit to British Gas, the company's recycling bins are accompanied by some of the best labelling and recycling instructions I've seen in a long time!

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 I’m a British Gas Smart Mums Ambassador, working with BritMums and British Gas to highlight energy issues in the home.  This is a sponsored post.

• Take part in the Smart Mums Watt Loss Challenge now!
• Meet the Smart Mums Ambassadors
• Grab the badge to show you’re a Smart Mum
• Find out how smart meters can save you money

British Gas will be at this year's Ideal Home Show, which takes place 16th March to 1st April.  Look out for their stand, where they will be demonstrating many of their new products in their Smarter Home display.

Weight loss, Watt loss!

See that bin on the left?

That's our rubbish bin.

No, not the big one.

But that little one.

The teeny-tiny one on the left-hand-side.

Yes, I know it looks like an ordinary bathroom bin, but it actually is the main one for our household waste, and resides in the kitchen.

The bin on the right-hand-side used to be our rubbish bin, but during my very first zero waste challenge, it was promoted to handle our recycling.  As our rubbish gradually got lighter and the bin bag became slimmer, we didn't need such a huge bin, so downsized a little...or rather a lot. 


During the last few years we've also been doing the same with our energy usage.   However, unlike rubbish, it's much harder to visualise the impact if your energy source gets delivered through pipes and wires.

Wouldn't it be great if you could look at that small bin and pat yourself on your back with great satisfaction knowing that was all the energy your household used in a week instead of needing that huge bin.

Before I even begin to blow my mind with musings on the actual size of bin we would need to demonstrate that, there are simple tools that can deliver the kind of information needed for analysis, and that's in the form of an energy monitor. An energy monitor tracks how much electricity you’re using translates that into amount of money you’re spending by the hour.

We bought one several years ago and had so much fun. The children were even distracted from the TV and instead spent several evenings running around the house turning lights on-and-off and helping me to start the washing machine, dishwasher and oven.  I was just relieved they couldn't find the switch for the fridge\freezer or I really would have been in trouble.

But energy monitors aren't just fun for entertaining the kids, they're great for adults too, not that Mr A and I indulged in similar games of running around flicking the switches mind you!  STOP IT!  No, we'd look at the digital display and rub our hands together in a scrooge-like manner thinking 'Kerching' when pondering the savings made, while my mind distracted itself towards gorgeous vintage jewellery or shoes.  Wrong I know, and I've worked hard at improving my attitude since.

Soon everyone will be using them. The government has set a deadline of 2019 for all British households to have smart meters, gas and electricity meters that also monitor energy use. British Gas has already started upgrading its customers.

Since we've used our monitor, it's made me think twice about regulating the temperature of our radiators, making more efficient use of our hob & oven and even the amount of washing we do.  Where I used to bung everything in the washing machine after each wear, stuff now only goes in if it doesn't pass my quality control tests, i.e. having a whiff of it first. And we hardly use our tumble dryer these days, preferring to air-dry the washing instead.

But I know we've got to work harder.  Leaving on the various computers remains a problem for us (sometimes three can be running, talking amongst themselves, while we all sit down for dinner or are distracted by something on TV), which is why I've agreed to follow the Smart Mums Watt Loss Challenge.

Maybe I should get another bin, for recycling our Waste Electricals and if I see no progress, I can threaten to  bung the computers in there.  Ah, there's nothing like a spot of visualisation to inspire results.

And don't think I'm immune from my threat. If you don't see me again, you'll know my husband has read this post and has recycled my laptop for leaving it on when I should have turned it off!



_________________________________________________________

I’m a British Gas Smart Mums Ambassador, working with BritMums and British Gas to highlight energy issues in the home.

• Take part in the Smart Mums Watt Loss Challenge now!
• Meet the Smart Mums Ambassadors
• Grab the badge to show you’re a Smart Mum
• Find out how smart meters can save you money

So boys, what should you do when you get cold?

Over the next few weeks I will be working with British Gas as one of their Smart Mums ambassadors, thinking about the significance of energy conservation this winter.

This project comes hot on the heels of the energyshare campaign, where I saw the hard work of communities who are trying to create energy from renewable sources.  With all the complexities of such a project, it's a far cry from the simplicity of flicking a switch in our homes to immediately emblazen rooms in light or to turn up the heat.

With the festive season being one of the coldest times of the year and now the boys are off school, it's been a good time to have a chat with them about how we can save energy over the holidays.

I caught them by surprise, this Sunday, just as my youngest came home from swimming and my eldest was about to embark on a Pokemon Fest at the computer, wearing just a short sleeved top  - his choice - brrrrr.  The house was not particularly warm that day.

"What should you do if you get cold?" I asked.

A simple question.

"Turn up the radiators!" shouted one.

"Dive under a blanket!" called the other.

The first was just being a frivolous tease.  He knows we have a permanent choice of blankets in our living room, which are always put to good use whenever we're sat around watching television, or using the laptop.  Aside from the technology, it takes us right back to an era when central heating wasn't available. I'm snuggling under one, whilst writing this post.

Of course, being just seven and ten, when the boys are not sat around, they're tearing around the house, using their own energy to keep warm.

It's just a shame I can't harness that and divert it back into the National Grid.

Or the sound of their laughter too, just like in Monsters Inc.

We're actually pretty good at managing the heating and putting on extra layers.  However, our particular downfall is leaving the lights on, especially in the children's rooms, when they are rushing around to get to school.  It's always the bedside lights that are a pain to remember to turn off.

So he who laughed about turning up the radiators has now got his nose to the grindstone, designing mini-posters to remind him and his brother to turn off the lights!

And if that doesn't work, as a back-up plan I'm busy gathering together a load of pennies as a financial incentive, so that each time they remember to turn them off, they will physically be able to visualise the saving too.

The problem with that last strategy is that I can see them turning on the lights especially to turn them off again.

Best not tell them about that one yet then!


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This is a sponsored post for the British Gas, Smart Mums project. More posts  are also available at the BritMums Smart Mums Blog.