Thousands of households across the UK now have some form of low carbon smart tech installed, boasting cheaper bills, a potential 16% boost in property value, cleaner air and a lower environmental impact. Home tech can really help a property to stand out, so we’re providing the tools to help property professionals use tech to their advantage.
Smart home tech: what’s all the fuss?
Home owners tend to have low carbon tech products like heat pumps, solar panels, home battery storage and EV chargers installed to modernise whilst boosting the energy efficiency and value of their home. And when they move, it can often prove to be more cost effective to leave the tech behind. So if you’re showing a prospective buyer around a property with this tech, it’s integral that you know your stuff, so you can utilise its value as a huge asset to the property.
Heat pumps
What is a heat pump?
This ultra-efficient heating system uses electricity and air to keep a home consistently cosy for less. It works just like a fridge but in reverse, and just like a traditional gas boiler, it heats water which circulates and warms up the radiators throughout the house. Practically, the main difference to a boiler is that it heats the home at a lower temperature for longer, which means that the occupant may need to adapt when they switch their heating on and off. But along with that, there are also tons of huge advantages over a gas boiler…
What are the benefits?
- It can boost the value of your property
- Many customers report that their heating is more consistently cosy, like our customer, Linda. When surveyed, 90% of heat pump owners were satisfied with how warm it kept their home, compared to 80% of gas boiler owners.
- When paired with a smart tariff like Cosy Octopus, occupants can save £100’s a year compared to heating their home with a gas boiler
- Heat pumps produce 80% less carbon emissions than gas, making them far better for the environment.
- A heat pump lasts longer than a gas boiler – up to 20 years. Whereas a gas boiler lasts up to 15 years.
- Heat pumps are 4x more efficient than a gas boiler, and they already warm 23 million homes across Europe, including two thirds of homes in chilly Norway.
Solar panels
What are solar panels?
Now a familiar feature on roofs across the UK, solar panels need little introduction – but their benefits may be greater than you think.
Solar panels work by absorbing sunlight and transforming it into electricity, functioning as a mini power station on the roof. Any time the sun is shining (even when it’s cloudy), solar PV panels will generate renewable electricity to be used in the home, or to sell back to the grid for a profit.
What are the benefits?
- The upfront cost of solar installation can range from £4,000 – £20,000, and our most popular system at Octopus is £9,199. So if you’ve found a house that already has them, you’ve won the jackpot!
- Homeowners can wave goodbye to a considerable chunk of their electricity bills. Save around 63% on electricity bills with solar panels alone, or 89% if you also have a battery on an Octopus smart tariff.
- By generating free green electricity from the sun, you can get protection from rising electricity costs whilst being far more environmentally friendly.
- Automatically export any energy that you don’t use back to the national grid, and get paid without lifting a finger.
- Solar panels can generate electricity, even on cloudy days. 8 solar panels can generate enough electricity on an average winter’s day to make 135 cups of tea!
Home battery storage
What is a battery?
Battery storage truly maximises the potential of solar panels, and can even have huge financial benefits without solar. With a battery, a homeowner has the potential to generate electricity or buy it at cheaper times, and store it for later or sell it back to the grid when prices are higher. Making customers money, making electricity on the national grid greener, and giving the freedom to really take control of their energy.
What are the benefits?
- With a battery, any renewable solar energy that isn’t used at home during the day can be stored for use when the sun isn’t out.
- If you want to get even smarter, with a battery and the right smart tariff you can buy energy from the grid at off-peak times when prices are lower, use anything you need at home, and sell energy back to the grid when prices are higher at peak times.
- With solar and battery storage, occupants can cut around 89% off their electricity bills on the Octopus Flux tariff, or even slash 100% of their electricity bills and make some on top with the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff.
Electric vehicle charger
Even if a potential buyer doesn’t have an electric car yet, an EV charger can be a great feature to future-proof a home.
17% of all new cars sold are electric, and 1.3 million Brits already drive one. It’s no wonder: they’re fun, fast and can save you up to 90% on fuel costs.
What are the benefits?
- Having an EV charger at home can save drivers 88% when compared to public EV charge points.
- Paired with a smart EV tariff, like Intelligent Octopus Go, your car automatically charges when energy prices are lowest – cutting your fuel running costs.
- It’s as easy as plugging in your phone. Just connect the car before bed, and the smart technology does the rest – choosing the greenest, cheapest times to charge while you sleep.
- Many EV chargers also work with solar power, so you can easily optimise both pieces of tech to save the most money.
Plus our customers love them!
We’re hearing from more and more of our customers that getting a heat pump has saved them money and helped them feel more in control. Hear from Alan and Linda who love their heat pumps just as much as we do!
