Swedish energy monitoring firm Eliq and Bristol Energy have been awarded funds by the government to develop and trial AI technology to compliment the energy supplier’s app.
The £230,000 funding is part of the smart energy savings (SENS) competition which aims to develop and trial innovative feedback products and services that use smart meter data, to help domestic customers reduce their energy consumption.
The AI will deliver “personalised and actionable” energy savings advice to customers through Bristol’s app, which was launched earlier this year.
Additionally, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is commissioning a 12-month trial which will take place next year to monitor the savings generated by the new technology.
The technology works by mapping the most relevant energy savings advice to each customer, with an algorithm that automatically adapts and improves, tailoring the service to individual customers.
Eliq says the ultimate goal of the new functionality is to “further strengthen the customer engagement with the app” and make customers more likely to adopt new energy savings products and services offered.
Håkan Ludvigson, chief executive and founder of Eliq, said: “Customers today are fed up with the generic advice provided by many utilities’ apps and home energy reports.
“With this technology, we are pushing the limits for personalised energy content.”
Andy Coleman, head of smart metering transition at Bristol Energy, said: “The AI energy advisor is the next step in delivering true value from smart meters to our customers.”
The government has committed up to £6.25 million for the SENS competition and 8 projects were selected and allocated (matched) grant funding for phase 1 – which runs from June to December this year.
During phase 1 products and/ or services will be developed ahead of potential household trials in the second phase.