Power hungry appliances outed by next generation energy displays

25/04/08

Do you know how much your power shower costs to run? What difference does switching your dishwasher to an eco cycle make to its energy consumption? Householders across the UK have been taking part in trials of the latest smart metering development, a technology called Coracle, which helps consumers spot the impact of their household appliances by showing exactly what they have been using, when, and how much it costs.

All this is done using a system that only needs energy data from a single point, either in a smart electricity meter or as part of a consumer energy display device, to show how much electricity equipment such as fridges, ovens, consumer electronics and heating systems are using.

Householders will get a display that can show them at a glance what class of equipment is costing them the most and they will be able to identify exactly how much money (and carbon) they might save by switching to an eco cycle or defrosting the freezer.

Studies show energy display units can reduce average energy use by 3-15%, but that this initial effect can be eroded over time as people become used to the displays. Extra information from the Coracle system will reinforce beneficial lifestyle changes right away and in conjunction with regular and relevant updates from energy companies, can help to keep consumers engaged in the process of energy reduction for the long term.

"The average UK family household uses £383 worth of electricity a year, generating 2 tonnes of CO2 in the process, around 34% of our domestic carbon footprint. Coracle can help to reduce this, and to keep it low, said Mark England, MD of Sentec, the Cambridge company which has developed the technology."

"Industry research suggests that reductions of up to 15% are easily achievable, even with the simplest of in-home energy monitoring. Coracle takes this to the next level, and should encourage a whole new generation of informed, environmentally conscious consumers.’

Small scale trials have already been run in Cambridge and with a major utility and the results are promising. Larger scale trials are planned for later in the year, which will last for several months and confirm the performance of the technology and consumer reaction to the information. In the meantime talks will continue with manufacturers of meters and consumer display devices to incorporate the technology into the next generation of smart metering products, which could be available within the next two years.

'People are already adopting consumer display units for energy and the first thing most people do when they get a standard display device is to walk around the house turning things off and on to see how much energy they consume.’ said Tom Fryers, Commercial Director. ‘Coracle gives people the full picture of their energy consumption, minute by minute. There's no need to re-wire all the built-in appliances in the modern home to use plug-in energy monitors. Coracle analyses the energy supply to the whole house, and can learn the characteristics of the appliances in most houses by itself.
A small amount of user feedback to personalise the results, such as naming the appliances that are installed in the house, can help to pinpoint the biggest potential targets for making savings. And it goes on working, day in, day out, as old appliances are changed out for new, hopefully more efficient ones, and entirely new products are installed.’

The government gave clear signals of its commitment to Smart Metering and Consumer Energy Displays in its Energy White Paper last year. Coracle is the next generation over the devices currently on the market, which show aggregated energy use with no analysis of how the energy has been used, and it will help consumers to manage their energy consumption with much more sophistication than has been possible up to now
The Environmental Change Institute, Oxford (‘The Effectiveness of Feedback on Energy Consumption’, Dr Sarah Derby)

Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2007, BERR

Source: Energy Savings Trust

Further information: Hermione Crease, +44(1223)303800, press@sentec.co.uk