Housed on Samsung’s SmartThings platform, and powered by smart energy technology company Chameleon Technology, customers can add their smart meter to see how much energy they’re using, understand how much it’s costing them and even set and track budgets all from their phone.

With smart meter uptake growing at a reduced rate in the UK, yet the need for action on energy consumption and decarbonisation more important than ever, the hope is that services like SmartThings Energy can help galvanise consumer interest in smart meters by empowering users to take action based on their energy usage data more easily. Chameleon’s technology enables smart meter data to be securely and privately populated in the SmartThings app.

Available to download on Android and iOS, SmartThings is the easiest way to connect and control a wide range of smart devices from Samsung and other leading brands, all from one app – making life simpler, safer and more convenient.

And once energy prices begin to stabilise, with a price cap increase likely in the new year, SmartThings Energy will also highlight if cheaper tariffs are available based on actual household energy usage. By partnering with Uswitch; the UK’s leading price comparison service, to provide end-to-end energy management, SmartThings Energy will give people greater control when it comes to domestic energy use.

With increasing prices and the energy price cap shielding customers from even higher bills active energy management in the home has never been more important. And whilst it may be difficult to control bills right now, once prices stabilise and the threat of a price cap increase in 2022 becomes a reality, customers will feel more empowered to ensure they not only pay less, but waste less and use less energy this winter. Following the recent price cap increase, experts have warned millions of homes could face a winter energy bill hike of more than £139 a year^[1].

Commenting on this announcement, Teg Dosanjh, Director of Connected Services and Technology, Samsung UK and Ireland said: “In a time when people are feeling a lack of control over their energy usage, with very limited options to mitigate increasing costs, we’re pleased to be able to drive change in the energy space by launching SmartThings Energy.

We’ve been working hard with our partners Chameleon Technology and Uswitch over the past few months to deliver a completely free-to-use, independent service that takes the guesswork out of household energy management, empowering our customers to have a holistic view of their energy consumption, providing budgeting capabilities.

By helping households be more aware of their energy consumption and encourage positive behaviours to reduce energy usage, SmartThings Energy offers a category-defining energy saving service for everyone, irrespective of who their energy provider is.”

Mike Woodhall, CEO, Chameleon Technology added: “To date, as consumers, we have all been passengers on the journey towards Net Zero. However, through the continued evolution of SmartThings Energy, Chameleon Technology is now able to deliver personal smart meter data into the palm of your hand.

We are pleased to further our commitment to empowering individuals to make smarter and more informed choices about how to better manage their home energy consumption in support of their personal journey towards their decarbonised future.”

Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at Uswitch.com said: “We’re excited to be partnering with Samsung on the launch of SmartThings Energy. Our hope is that this new service will help customers adopt positive behaviours when it comes to energy awareness and management.”

When coupled with Samsung’s range of intelligent devices, the service can not only be harnessed to automatically switch appliances to low energy mode and notify you if appliances are running when no one is at home, but it can also notify users when their energy consumption exceeds monthly targets. SmartThings Energy can also take a user’s actual energy tariff information, including peak time rates, in order to help adjust their energy usage and subsequently minimise costs.

[1]  https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/record-gas-prices-drive-price-cap-ps139-customers-encouraged-contact-supplier-support-and-switch-better-deal-if-possible

• Over half (54%) of people in the UK believe heating to be the biggest drain of energy in their houses during the winter months

• Samsung SmartThings Energy Control is a free to use service which helps users analyse their home’s energy usage. Through the platform, customers can save money and reduce their carbon footprint, whilst controlling appliances remotely via SmartThings

LONDON, UK – October 20, 2020 – As we head into autumn and the warm days become a distant memory, the annual ‘to heat or not to heat’ debate is sparked in households across the country, with over a fifth (22%) of Brits admitting that when to turn the heating on causes arguments in their home. A further 23% admit that deciding on which times to have the heating on throughout the day also sparks debates.

While just under a third tend to turn their heating on at the start of October (30%), over half of Brits (54%) believe that turning the heating on is the biggest drain of energy in the home throughout the autumn and winter months, and try to wait as long as they can before turning it on.

The survey[1] by Samsung reveals the lengths that Brits go to save on costs and delay switching on the heating, from simple solutions such as wearing extra layers around the house (65%), drinking hot drinks (40%) and wearing socks to bed (40%). Some, however, admit to heating up the bed with a hair dryer before climbing in (8%) or leaving the oven on longer than needed (8%) to generate more heat!

However, what they may not realise is that some of the measures taken (e.g. using an electric blanket or leaving the oven on) actually result in even more energy being consumed. Samsung SmartThings Energy Control (STEC) is a free to use service which helps users take control of your home’s energy via the SmartThings App. It shows detailed, down to the minute information so you can view your home’s energy usage and cost by the hour, day, or month.

“At Samsung, our customers are at the heart of every decision we make. From the devices and services we create, to the partnerships we foster, everything is done with them in mind,” comments Teg Dosanjh, Director of Connected Services and Technology at Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland.

“Our SmartThings Energy Control platform in partnership with Bulb is a perfect example of this. By enabling customers to see their household energy information in one easy-to-use app, we are giving them control and empowering them to make informed decisions about how best to reduce their energy usage.”

With 15% of people in the UK admitting that they don’t understand the most cost-efficient ways to reduce heating bills in their household to save energy, SmartThings Energy Control is a simple way of monitoring spend and ensuring cost-efficiency. While heating is one form of energy that the service can help to monitor and control through connecting to a thermostat, the wider SmartThings platform is compatible with thousands of smart products – including lighting and washing machines, which means you can have full visibility of energy usage via STEC and the power to control those devices remotely, all through the SmartThings app.

Despite heating being a constant concern over rising energy bills, three quarters of the UK (75%) are not currently using an energy control app or meter.  This is even though those who are reported an average saving of up to £2.86 per week[2].

For over a quarter of Brits (26%), it isn’t just the rising costs that are a concern – environmental impacts of using heating also delays the switch on as it adds to the rise of energy usage in the home. This is even higher (33%) among the eco-conscious Gen Z age group (18-24). SmartThings Energy Control offers greater visibility of energy usage within the home, educating households by providing them the tools to use less energy, save on bills and lower carbon emissions.

SmartThings Energy Control is available today to current members of Bulb with a second-generation smart meter installed. These members can simply download the SmartThings app and get going.

Find out more about SmartThings Energy Control at: https://www.samsung.com/uk/smartenergy  or download the SmartThings app for both Android and iOS: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samsung.android.oneconnect&hl=en_GB

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/smartthings/id1222822904

[1] Research was fielded online among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults living in the UK. Fieldwork was carried out in partnership with OnePoll and was in field from 01/10/2020-05/10/2020

[2] Average saving when using an energy control app or meter calculated based on information provided in consumer research by OnePoll, with sample size of 2,000 respondents