Heatio Joins Innovate UK's Net Zero Living Programme to Tackle Home Energy Efficiency.
Heatio Flexx Home Energy Management Solution to be put to the test in a living lab.
In recognition of Heatio's commitment to sustainability, Innovate UK, a key player in UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £3.8 million in innovation projects as part of the Net Zero Living Programme. Heatio has been awarded £90k as part of this initiative to put Heatio Flexx to the test with homeowners. This funding is aimed at supporting early-stage growth businesses with ambitious goals for developing net-zero products or services, responding to the growing demand for low-carbon technologies.
Heatio Flexx is designed with the homeowner in mind, aiming to assist energy-conscious consumers in reducing their energy consumption, making the switch to renewable energy sources, and adopting sustainable practices in their homes.
This innovative solution promises to lead the charge in achieving optimal energy efficiency for residential properties. By incorporating advanced technology, including machine learning, smart meter data analysis, discreet sensor technology, and information modelling, Heatio Flexx provides homeowners with precise insights into energy costs, potential savings, and home technology specifications. Armed with this knowledge, consumers can make well-informed decisions about their energy usage, promoting the adoption of eco-friendly technologies and overall improvements in home energy efficiency to maximise energy savings.
As part of the programme, Heatio will tap into the expertise of living laboratories, allowing the Heatio Flexx solution to undergo real-world testing with end-users. 25 homeowners, participating in the living lab, will receive a personalised energy usage profile, offering reliable predictions of energy consumption and carbon emissions. This data empowers users with the information needed for tailored forecasts of financial savings and a precise assessment of low-carbon technology costs.
Heatio will test a range of homes with and without low-carbon technologies installed to gain feedback on the platform’s onboarding process, user experience and the value delivered to the homeowner. This user-centric approach will ensure that Heatio Flexx aligns with the needs and preferences of homeowners, contributing to the ongoing push for a net-zero future.
Thomas Farquhar, Co-Founder of Heatio, comments: “Heatio is thrilled to be part of this programme. This is a huge achievement for us in our commitment to making a substantial contribution to the journey for a sustainable, net-zero future. Joining the Innovate UK programme will allow us to refine our product, for the benefit of our customers, following real user feedback.
By connecting smart homes to our Virtual Power Power, we can better utilise and manage the energy provided by the National Grid, as well as incorporate and maximise the cost and energy saving opportunities low carbon technology can provide UK households.”
In January 2024 Heatio also announced two partnerships worth £1.2 million, both designed to encourage UK homeowners to install low carbon technologies by reducing upfront installation costs.
The first scheme is the UK's first Low Carbon Technology Subscription. Heatio’s partnership with E.ON and Energy Systems Catapult introduces the Energy as a Service solution (EaaS), a subscription-based product that aims to eliminate upfront costs for consumers considering heat pumps, solar PV, or battery storage. Around 350 households in the North West of England will have the opportunity to be the first to benefit from this new service agreement. Launched in the Spring, the solution will also integrate a bespoke E.ON energy tariff, further reducing costs.
The second project sees Heatio join Perenna Digital Bank and Energy Systems Catapult to provide a 20-30 year fixed rate green mortgage that rewards homeowners with a preferential interest rate for retrofitting their homes with low carbon technologies. The new finance option could save homeowners around £400 a year.
