The Smarter Living Challenge has been launching by BT and Hubbub to explore how technology can reduce household carbon emissions.
The pilot project will work with 60 diverse households – ranging from tech-savvy to technophobe – across the country over the next three months, introducing smart home devices, apps and tips. These will include apps to manage energy, food and water use, smart thermostats and radiator valves and websites to compare usage and learn how to save money on bills.
The group of households will come together as a digital community to share experiences, with results expected from the first phase of the challenge to be released in the spring of 2021. The aim is to use the learnings and case studies from the project as the bedrock for a campaign looking to become the UK’s largest movement of households committed to making positive and tangible changes at home, the companies said.
Andy Wales, chief digital impact and sustainability officer at the BT Group, pointed to how BT has pledged to become a net zero carbon emissions business by 2045, adding that the company also has “a responsibility to help households reduce their own carbon emissions” and is hoping to “inspire action on a big scale” when the outcomes of the project are published.
The Smarter Living Challenge comes after consumer research from Hubbub found that in a survey of 3,000 adults, 63% don’t use any technology to run their homes but almost a quarter would considering do so if it reduced their impact on the environment.
Gavin Ellis, co-founder and director of Hubbub, said this research suggests “a need to explore exactly which technology can have a positive impact on household bills and how much money can be saved”.
“By investigating what works for different types of households we hope to inspire the public to embrace technology in a way that works for them, helping to save money and cut carbon emissions in the home.”