A new AI-based home energy programme could save consumers over £1,000 on their energy bills, according to its developer Powerverse.
The company says the potential cost saving and associated 850 kg cut in CO2 emissions are based on five years of real-world and in-lab testing with partners including Barratt Developments, UK Power Networks and hundreds of households
Powerverse boasts that this is “the first time all aspects of home energy have been brought together into a single platform using real AI technology to guide billpayers on the best solutions for their individual needs”.
Powerverse, a smart energy management company created by global solar group, Lightsource, has set itself the ambition of acquiring 250,000 customers in the next five years
The company said:
Consumers are increasingly overwhelmed when trying to balance the cost and carbon impact of their home energy use. At the same time, adopting new low-carbon technologies such as EV chargers, solar panels, heat pumps and smart appliances is time-intensive, confusing, and highly inconvenient, often requiring hours of research and causing “energy anxiety”. This is hampering the consumer-driven shift to a low-carbon, low-cost energy future.
The company says that the Powerverse Vesta platform automatically finds the best solutions from thousands of data points, including every available energy tariff, weather forecasts and a network of hardware providers and electrical engineers.
The developers say:
It has the power to manage everything – from suggesting solar based on your roof’s size and aspect on Google Earth, to arranging installations of hardware and making sure energy tariffs provide the best possible value. Solutions are tailored to individuals, bypassing hours of research and paralysing uncertainty.
The company notes that using the platform to install and optimise EV charging and solar can lead to the highest savings of around £1,000 per year, with Vesta learning driving patterns and reviewing home energy use to automatically charge at the cheapest time using the most cost-efficient tariff. It adds that by controlling solar inverters and EV chargers alone, it can control up to 7 kWh of power per household.
Customers can also use the platform to access Demand Side Response, shifting energy use to off-peak times to take pressure off the grid, maximising the use of renewables and cutting costs for the consumer.
Richard Britton, Chief Executive of Powerverse, said:
AI lets billpayers unthink energy. With sky-high bills, increasingly complex tariffs, and more tech to choose from than ever before, consumers are overwhelmed with choice and complexity. Around 13 million energy customers would live more sustainably if it was less complicated – helping this group alone could see £13 billion shaved off UK energy bills, and 11 million fewer tonnes of CO2 emitted every year. It is a massive opportunity to use AI as a force for good.
Powerverse designed and built a ‘simulated smart home’ to field test the platform, which was also used as part of Barratt Developments’ flagship zero-carbon home project in 2021, dubbed the ‘Z House project’.
The company says it is building a portfolio of products consisting of the Powerverse hub; a smart EV charger; solar PV; batteries; and heat pumps. From today, customers can purchase the EV charger and use Powerverse Vesta with other third-party smart products.
