Calls on Brits to get smarter on rising energy bills
With much of the nation still working from home and expecting a steep rise in their energy bills, NICEIC is advising homebound homeowners that it’s never been a better time to switch to smart technology in order to achieve significant savings.
In February, Ofgem announced that around 15 million families will see their energy bills rise by up to £96 after the regulator hiked the price cap1. It comes at a time when British households - having spent much of the last year homebound under successive coronavirus lockdowns - are paying more than £30 extra a month for their gas and electricity due to increased use2.
NICEIC, the UK’s leading electrical certification body, is keen to encourage homeowners to invest in smart technologies, such as smart thermostats and intelligent lighting to cut their bills.
However, while it has been shown that installing room thermostats, programmers and thermostatic radiator valves could help the average household save around £75 a year3 – NICEIC is calling on the public to use a registered contractor to ensure these are installed safely and correctly.
Paul Collins, NICEIC’s Technical Services Manager, comments: “The pandemic is the first time in modern history that most of the British population has spent such an extended period at home. Naturally, this is leading to rising energy bills, but there’s also the unique opportunity for homeowners to transform their home into a well-connected, energy efficient oasis.
“We need only look at the significant cost savings of installing a smart thermostat system - most people can expect to save 10-20% on their current household heating bill4 - to understand the benefits of investing in smart technologies – and no doubt this is a trend we’ll see in 2021. However, when it comes to heating controls or automated lighting, given how complex these can be, our advice would be to always use a trained professional, such as those electrical contractors registered with NICEIC, for any electrical work.
“In today’s prolific ‘have a go’ DIY culture, it’s all too easy for consumers to try to install it themselves – leading not just to safety implications but meaning the product, in not being fitted to the full specification, could fail to operate correctly and often leave homeowners disappointed.”
In terms of best practice, NICEIC recommends that any homeowners seeking to invest in smart technology should first call on a registered electrician to conduct a ‘needs analysis’, which can be conducted in a COVID-secure way. This is whereby the electrician will conduct a full examination of their individual requirements and current setup and make informed recommendations on the most suitable systems on the market, plus carry out any other routine maintenance required to ensure a full working system.
Paul adds: “As we look to the year ahead, we’re likely to see increased household spending on smart tech in the home, especially to curb rising energy bills. With this in mind, we cannot emphasise enough the importance of getting smart systems installed properly by a registered electrical contractor. Not only will this ensure that installation is carried out to the highest standards of electrical safety, but homeowners will also benefit from the extensive technical excellence of contractors with years of experience of setting up the market’s latest systems.”
You can search for a registered electrician in your area by visiting here.
