A Better Futures-backed business which helps homeowners increase their energy efficiency, cut their carbon footprint and reduce their bills has been approved by Ofgem.
The AirEx ‘smart brick’ technology has been officially recognised as one of five innovative energy efficiency system providers under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO3) scheme.
ECO3 is a government initiative that places legal obligations on large energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency and heating measures to homes across the UK.
As part of the scheme, AirEx will be deployed on a large-scale pilot in partnership with EDF Energy, with delivery partners Bill Save UK and Build Test Solutions.
Once complete, the AirEx product will receive a ‘deemed score’ based on the pilot results, which will then determine the value of ECO subsidy available for each home.
Independent validation suggests that the ECO subsidy will fully cover the cost of the product and cost of installation, making it effectively free to the end user: social housing tenants and private homeowners.
The recognition is potentially a gamechanger for the London startup which will mean its IoT-enabled smart ventilation control system – aka the smart brick - could soon be in millions of homes across the UK.
AirEx co-founder Agnes Czako said she was thrilled that the company had received the Ofgem recognition.
She said: “We are really excited to be one of the pioneer innovations on the ECO3 programme. We continue to work with Ofgem, energy companies and installers to deploy this solution in millions of UK homes, fighting fuel poverty and climate change.”
The AirEx team has developed an innovative ‘intelligent air-brick’ system, which uses sensors and smart algorithms to selectively open and shut air vents, resulting in 10-20 per cent reduction on household energy bills.
The system is passive, does not require electrically qualified installers, and pays back in 2-3 years through reduced energy bills.