Approved by Ofgem, this innovative system allows housing providers to gather key energy data with residents' consent via Switchee's integrated smart thermostat. This scalable solution offers a logistical breakthrough in obtaining smart meter data, which was previously unfeasible on a large scale.

Switchee's service enables a precise understanding of a home's energy efficiency, helping identify which properties would benefit most from improvements, how much energy each home requires, and verifying the impact of retrofit projects. Unlike the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which has been criticised for inaccuracies, Smart Meter Insights offers a more reliable evaluation of energy efficiency, helping ensure retrofit investments deliver real value.

This technology is also crucial for housing providers seeking funding from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), including Wave 3, and helps build a clearer picture of effective retrofitting strategies. It addresses key questions about the cost-effectiveness of double glazing, the relative value of cavity wall versus loft insulation, and the performance of heat pumps.

Solutions provided by Smart Meter Insights include:

• Prioritising homes for retrofit improvement: The service compares thermal performance between homes across a portfolio and uses HLP to understand which homes require significantly more or less energy per square metre to keep them warm.
• Measuring the impact of retrofit improvements: Smart Meter Insights allows housing providers to understand which interventions are most impactful in terms of: Changes in HTC and HLP, Changes in KWh energy required to keep the home at 18°C for one year (assuming typical weather), Change in energy cost required to keep the home at 18°C for one year (assuming standard UK energy costs)
• Confirming HTC performance of new-build properties and HTC contract work: The service compares the actual energy required to keep a home warm to the building specifications or to the promised increase of the HTC. It also identifies and addresses any discrepancies with contractors
• Resident consent: The service contains an industry-leading smart meter consent process that works via the Switchee device and has full approval from UK regulator Ofgem

Tom Robins, CEO of Switchee, said: “We are delighted to share our Smart Meter Insights, which is the result of a longer-term ambition of using our analytics to improve social housing. This cutting-edge service benefits both residents and housing providers, all whilst accelerating the journey to net zero.

“At Switchee, we want to provide the industry with options that move away from survey-based subjective measures such as EPC and toward quantitative, real facts about the amount of energy being retained in the home and what the expected cost to the resident is. With Smart Meter Insights, we make this a reality.”