A Greenwich Council-backed scheme could help you save energy and save money – and all you need is a smartphone app and a small device installed in your home. REBECCA MOIR, of Groundwork London, which is in charge of the project, explains more…
Take part in a 12 month free trial to help decide the future of energy. Greenwich Energy Hero is a service being piloted in Greenwich borough, which helps residents to use electricity more effectively and earn rewards.
By sending notifications via an app, the digital service will alert you when electricity supply is lower in your area. By using less electricity during this period, you’ll receive rewards. This is important as the supply of electricity is shifting towards solar and wind which produce electricity at variable rates.
Greenwich Energy Hero is looking for 100 homes across the borough to take part in this exciting trial, which launched in June, and lasting for a year. By taking part you’ll help to test out this new technology, and your feedback will inform how improvements can be made to perfect the service, which, in the future, has the potential to be rolled out to homes across the UK. You’ll also be compensated for taking part in the trial.
Due to rising populations and a move over to renewable energy sources (which can produce variable amounts of electricity), there can be occasions when demand for electricity is higher than supply. Reducing the amount of electricity being used at certain peak times is the most efficient way of solving the problem, rather than building new power stations, or keeping old stations available for occasional use.
The trial involves the following steps:
1. Install
A Green Doctor will install a small device in your home to measure your electricity usage, and connect you to the Greenwich Energy Hero app
2. Monitor
The Greenwich Energy Hero app lets you track the electricity use in your home in real time
3. Alert
You will receive an alert that there is a Peak Response Event via your app when electricity supply is lower – on average once or twice a month, with advance notice
4. Action
If you accept the alert, you reduce your electricity usage for the suggested time – a few hours
5. Reward
You will be rewarded for your action with points which you can convert into vouchers for yourself or a donation to a local charity.
For more information, or to register your interest, please visit greenwichenergyhero.org To find out more, please call 0300 365 5003.
853‘s Community Spotlight pages are here to help publicise local groups and causes in the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham. Find out how your group can benefit.
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