Technologies To Beat The Energy Crisis

The closing of nuclear power stations, climate change and increased demand for fuels has created a bottleneck leading to the current energy crisis. Under the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) passed in Brussels, coal or oil power stations which do not meet emissions-reduction targets will be closed before 2016. If the UK is to keep the lights on at a time when power resources are being culled, new technologies are ultimately the way forward.

KiWi Technology

Start-up brand KiWi has created a laptop-sized device that helps 650 large dwellings in Britain save energy. The firm monitors the energy consumption of users and can cut their power-usage during peak times for up to an hour at a time, if agreed by the customer. This could mean cutting lights or air conditioning power. Several NHS hospitals, Marriott hotels and industrial groups have adopted the KiWi device and are being paid by the National Grid for the energy they save.

Propagating an increased focus on community energy, KiWi promotes social energy management to avoid the most polluting forms of power. This is done with no upfront costs and without the need for switching energy suppliers. As the Grid becomes more congested, KiWi’s Demand Reduction Strategy will be activated.

Meanwhile, consumer anger towards rising gas and electricity prices and miss-selling scandals reported in the media has exacerbated uncertainty in the energy market. “Currently our energy bills are often estimated. This would be an unthinkable situation in any other industry, but one which we’ve resigned ourselves to in energy,” says Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive, Smart Energy GB.

The controversy has seen a huge loss of trust in the big six, which has been picked up by both the media and politicians and cumulated in a review of the industry by regulator Ofgem. Recent figures from the Energy Ombudsman on the soaring number of energy bill complaints signals that Britain’s energy billing system is in need of an urgent overhaul. Billing issues accounted for 84% of the complaints made between January and June this year.

Smart Meters

Smart Meters often a much-needed simple solution and will end estimated bills. This new technology will enable households to view their energy consumption in real time – expressed in pounds and pence. The technology also communicates directly with the energy supplier, ending the need for manual and estimated meter readings and estimated billing altogether.

Smart Meters help homeowners to manage their energy use, save money and reduce emissions. They also make way for easier switching – meaning it’s smoother and faster to switch suppliers. The innovation comes at the same time as sector watchdog Ofgem approved new plans that will allow customers to switch energy suppliers within just 3 days, opposing the current 5 week timescale.

The government requires energy companies to install smart meters for their customers, and many suppliers have already begun rolling out Smart Meters. Energy companies are obligated to make sure the smart functions of the meter are still available if a consumer switches supplier. By 2020, every household in Britain will be offered a Smart Meter.

Writer Sam Travers is an eco warrior of sorts. He works for a green charity and posts regular blogs about the energy industry and how to make the world a better place.

Bio
Latest Posts

TLB bureau

The articles published under TLB Bureau are either written by our staff writers or are selected works from contributors who are featured by our publication and are published with permission of authors.