Kiwi Power has partnered with the council in Greenwich for a domestic demand-side response (DSR) trial that will allow local residents to earn rewards, either for themselves or for charity, by responding to alerts from a phone app.
The Greenwich Energy Hero scheme will involve 100 residents of the London borough. It will begin later this month and last for one year.
Participants in the trial will receive a home visit from an energy advisor from environmental and social charity Groundwork London.
These “green doctors” will dispense tailored advice on how to reduce energy usage and install a device on customers’ electricity meters which transmits data to a smart phone app. The device and the app will be provided free-of-charge by Kiwi Power.
The app will display real-time information on their consumption, including which appliances are using the most electricity as well as a leader board showing how their usage compares to other participants in the trial and further tips on how to save energy.
It will also alert residents when local electricity supplies are struggling to keep up with demand. They will be asked to reduce their consumption over a period of one to three hours by turning off non-essential appliances.
The alerts are expected to be issued just once or twice each month. Participants will not be obliged to respond, but those that do will receive reward points that can be converted into vouchers or donated to a local charity.
The points are anticipated to be worth £5-£35 per year.
Denise Hyland, cabinet member for economy, skills and apprenticeships, said: “The Royal Borough of Greenwich is committed to supporting a greener energy supply.
“By trialling smart technologies with projects such as Greenwich Energy Hero, we are able to solve energy challenges, as well as help 100 of our residents to use less electricity, meaning they can lower their electric bills.”
Kiwi Power project manager Nikita Vajani said: “Kiwi Power believes domestic electricity consumers should have access to the same opportunities and benefits our commercial and industrial clients see from Demand Side Response.
“This market segment has great potential but to achieve success at scale requires a good understanding of consumption patterns and behaviours as well as identifying the best channels and messages for sustained engagement.”