09 March 2010 11:07
Trial proves Kettering residents are Smart energy savers

Data from the E.ON Kettering Smart Energy Saver trial, launched in the borough 18 months ago, has proved that Kettering residents really are a savvy lot when it comes to saving energy with almost 80%¹ of participating homes making a reduction in their energy consumption over a 12 month period².

Over the course of the trial, the average reduction in energy consumption per household was around 9%³ which equates to a financial saving of about £109⁴ off the average annual gas and electricity bill.

The trial, a joint venture between E.ON, one of the UK's leading power and gas companies, and Kettering Borough Council (KBC), involved the installation of dual fuel Smart meters in nearly 500 homes across the region along with an in-home monitor or online computer software, which provide up to the minute information on energy consumption, carbon emissions and energy costs.

The aim of the trial was to see if households, when provided with accurate real time consumption figures, could use the data to proactively lower their energy use through changes in behaviour.

Michael George, a Footwear Technologist from Kettering and his family, joined the trial in November 2008. Both he and his wife were keen to make savings on their energy bills. Through a programme of investment in their home, including cavity wall insulation and double glazing; and making changes to their behaviour, the George family have reduced their energy consumption by 22% over a 12 month period.

Delighted with an energy cost saving of £242⁵, Mike said: "I think the Smart meter has helped us realise just how wasteful we were being with our energy. We still do all the things we did before but we just make a conscious effort to turn things off when we've finished with them. The kids have been really involved too. In fact our daughter Hannah has even started turning lights off at school if she sees an unoccupied classroom!"

The trial participants were further incentivised by Kettering Borough Council offering residents an energy saving reward of up to £100 for reducing their energy consumption by 10% or more; with those reducing consumption by between 5% and 10% receiving a £50 reward. The reward will be paid to participants as a discount on their 2010/2011 council tax bill⁶.

Councillor Cedwien Brown, Lead Member for the Environment at Kettering Borough Council said: "The success of the Smart meter pilot shows what can be achieved when people are given the right tools and incentives to reduce their energy use and bills.  We believe that this innovative pilot paves a way forward for others to follow."

The completion of the Kettering Smart Energy Saver trial heralds another milestone towards the nationwide rollout of Smart metering technology. With Smart meters due in all homes in the United Kingdom by 2020, the Kettering trial has provided E.ON with data vital to improving and building on the successes they have already experienced.

Brendan Stafford, Head of Retail Information Change Services for E.ON says; "the results from the Kettering Smart Energy Saver trial have been extremely encouraging and we'd like to thank everyone who has participated. We are delighted to see that an overwhelming majority of our customers involved in the trial reduced their energy consumption. We feel that empowering people with the means to accurately monitor their own energy consumption at the actual point of use really is key in helping customers control their bills and reduce their CO² emissions.

"E.ON is committed to exploring alternative methods for customers to monitor their real-time energy consumption and we'll be using the results of the Kettering Smart Energy trial to further improve upon Smart metering technology. Come 2020, the Smart meters that are in people's homes may look very different to those used by the people of Kettering on the Smart Energy Saver Trial, but what is certain, is that they will continue to provide customers with more accurate bills and put them firmly in control of their energy use".

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. Of 454 trial participants who completed the trial, 365 made a reduction in their year on year energy consumption.

2. 12 month rolling period from October 2008 - January 2009 depending on date of meter installation

3. Figure based on an average of weather corrected and uncorrected data:

4. Figure based on the industry average annual consumption rate of 3,300kWh for electricity and 20,500kWh for gas with an annual offline bill of ar£1200.00

5. Energy cost saving based on E.ON's current Standard tariff energy prices correct as of 23.02.10.

6. The average household pays around £150 for Kettering Borough Council services, a £50 credit represents around one third of that amount and a £100 credit, two thirds.

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating and distributing electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. We employ around 16,000 people in the UK and more than 90,000 worldwide;
• E.ON's retail business is a leading energy supplier in the UK with around 5.5 million electricity and gas customers, covering domestic, SME and industrial. E.ON also offers central heating and boiler care;
• Our distribution business, branded Central Networks, provides a reliable supply to 9.5m people in central England through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables - enough to go round the Earth more than three times - and via almost 94,000 substations. The company covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast;
• We are sponsoring The FA Cup, which is known as The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON;
• The generation business produces enough electricity to cater for the needs of around eight million homes from a portfolio of world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations;
• We are a market leader in combined heat and power, providing our customers with around 600MW of electricity and more than 1,000MW of heat at 13 sites across the country;
• We're one of the leading green generators in the UK, with 19 wind farms located from Cornwall to Kintyre. We own and operate one of the UK's largest dedicated biomass power stations at Lockerbie. Combined, our renewable portfolio generates enough green energy to power the homes in a city the size of Manchester;
• Our green development portfolio could power over a million homes and displace the emission of almost two million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by building new onshore and offshore wind farms, biomass power stations, and tidal stream and wave power schemes;
• Our target is to cut the carbon released by each kW of electricity we generate by 10% between 2005-2012, having already reduced it by 20% since 1990;
• We have 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development;
• We have installed over 350,000 cavity wall and loft installation measures since 2006, as well as energy efficient boilers and smart meters to help customers manage their energy more efficiently;
• We are investing £50 million in new technologies and approaches over 10 years, through the Energy Technologies Institute;
• We have Biodiversity Action Plans at many of our sites which align us with the UK target of significantly reducing biodiversity loss;
• E.ON Group has announced it intends to reduced the carbon intensity of its generation by 50% by 2030 (on 1990 levels);

Case Studies

There are 3 Kettering Smart Energy Saver case studies available for comment. They include:

• A family with teenage children who have reduced their energy consumption by 22%.
• A stay at home mum with two young children who has reduced her energy consumption by 14%.
• A retired couple who have reduced their energy consumption by 26%.

For more information contact:

Daniella Davies at E.ON on 02476 191 511 or daniella.davies@eon-uk.com

Andrew Barrow at E.ON on 02476 183677 or andrew.barrow@eon-uk.com

Deborah Snow at Kettering Borough Council on 01536 534344 or deborahsnow@kettering.gov.uk