The Internet of Things & Smart Heat Controls in Social Housing

Question seven: What are the two main barriers to the
adoption of smart heat controls?
Question eight: Can you rate the importance of the
following benefits of smart heat controls?
1
237
1
Supporting vulnerable tenants
A
40%
A
The capital investment
2
234
2
Reducing tenant fuel bills
B
C
D
20%
20%
24%
B
C
D
Lack of information
Confusion over differing and
conflicting technologies
Other priorities
3
4
5
231
227
223
3
4
5
Improving repairs and maintenance efficiency
Using data to better manage your
housing assets
Improving customer service
E
32%
E
We need to trial the technology first
6
211
6
Increasing environmental
performance/efficiencies
F
28%
F
Other
7
209
7
Reducing costs
10 20 30 40 50 60
8
205
8
Reducing CO 2
The two leading barriers to adoption of smart heat controls are the cost and capital investment
required to purchase, and the need to trial and prove the value of technologies before committing to
significant installations.
Nigel Ebdon Market Development Manager at Secure Meters, comments:
Traditionally, thermostats had a low profile with landlords, as the purchasing decision was
made by a third party contractor or developer.
However, new connected, smart thermostats are significantly more expensive, so landlords
need the opportunity to trial them and prove they’re worth the investment. Most suppliers
have now made product ‘test driving’ a standard element of purchase.
190 200 210 220 230 240 250
Respondents were asked to score the importance of eight potential benefits of smart heat controls,
allowing perceived importance to be ranked.
Interestingly, the two most valued benefits are both related to tenant welfare, namely supporting
vulnerable tenants and reducing fuel poverty.
Fuel poverty remains a persistent problem in the UK, according to the Department for Business,
Energy & Industrial Strategy 2.53 million households are classified as fuel poor – that’s around
10% of homes 5 .
In its 2019 Fuel Poverty report, it highlights energy efficiency as one of three key solution drivers
(along with income and fuel prices).
As higher energy efficiency reduces a household’s fuel costs then as a result a household is
less likely to be classified as “high cost”. As fuel poor households get more energy efficient,
they have lower costs required to heat their homes and so the gap also decreases.
Although social homes tend to be more energy efficient than private rental sector properties,
landlords are quick to invest in technology that can further increase efficiency – particularly in the
face of rising fuel costs.
The third placed benefit is improving repairs and maintenance efficiency, which is most likely linked
to the remote monitoring of boilers, allowing landlords to prioritise those boilers and heating
systems that are most likely to fail.
5
Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics in England, 2019 (2017 data), Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
The Internet of Things & Smart Heat Controls in Social Housing
18 Market Intelligence Report 2020
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