How trailblazers are using smart meters to make the move to net zero | Sponsored
June 6, 2023
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3:28Now PlayingHow trailblazers are using smart meters to make the move to net zero | Sponsored
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as posted by the channelIn 2003, when Andy Maybury bought his new house in the Scottish Borders, it was cold and drafty.
The ex-council house was built in 1964. While it was a decent home for the time, it just wasn’t fit for the 21st century, with its unfilled cavity walls and suspended wooden floor – though a previous owner had at least put in double glazing.
Maybury and his family got to work on renovating the house, starting by filling those cavity walls with insulation. Maybury also put in a ventilation unit, which meant he could draft-proof the house without risking a damp problem.
After that first year, the family’s gas bill halved. And the house was one of hundreds of a similar design in the neighbourhood, meaning those lessons could be easily applied by others. He was inspired to take his home’s efficiency to the next level by changing the way he used energy.
A smart meter was essential in order to switch to an agile tariff, he explains: “You need the smart meter to record the half-hourly consumption.” Maybury can charge his car overnight, for instance, to take advantage of cheaper energy prices at that time. “Sometimes the price even goes negative, and we get paid for consuming energy,” he says.
His advice for others looking to retrofit their home? Do what you can as soon as you can to maximise the benefits of energy-saving renovations. While some changes take many years to pay back on the original investment, there are immediate benefits, too. “The comfort difference is significant,” he says.
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