SMART ENERGY GB

Contents Melin Homes Our Team SMART Meters Advantages of SMART Meters SMART Meter Billing In Home Displays (IHD) Questions

MELIN homes Melin Homes are a housing association providing affordable homes for tenants in South East Wales. We are a registered social landlord, we work closely with local authorities and other partners to build thriving communities. We have been around for ten years and were established as a non-profit social housing provider. Our mission is to make a positive impact on neighbourhoods by providing high-quality social housing to those who need it. We also give financial advice to our tenants and organise community events to enhance the lives of residents. We own and manage over 4,000 homes in Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Newport and Powys. We not only offer homes for rent but also properties for sale, which can be bought with the help of low-cost home ownership schemes.

OUR team: Green Futures The Green Futures team are predominantly responsible for delivering the Well@Home Project, in partnership with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which aims to improve poor health of those with chronic illnesses which are potentially worsened due to poor energy efficiency and fuel poverty.  The team are also working with the Sustainable Traditional Building Alliance (STBA) to develop a Whole House Retrofit Application Process which will be trailed on at least 40 Melin properties and will result in additional measures being recommend and fitted to achieve a whole house retrofit with current planned maintenance, improving the energy efficiency of the properties.  Also, the team have secured funding to engage with 2,400 consumers, specifically over 65, to explain the benefits of a smart meter, demonstrate how a smart meter can help with budgeting, explain how the energy grid is changing and how smart meters play a key role in the changing grid and increase the interest in having a smart meter fitted.

SMART Meters SMART Meters operate on a safe and secure communications network. Personal data is not shared on this network at all. This network is simply for sharing meter readings to the energy supplier. All data shared on the network is encrypted and safe. You do not need to have a mobile or internet connection in order to have a smart meter. They run on their own independent network. In order to check if SMART Meters are being rolled out in your area, you will individually need to check with your supplier because all suppliers are rolling meters out area by area.

Advantages of smart meters SEE WHAT YOU ARE SPENDING GOOD ENERGY HABITS NO MORE MANUAL READINGS WORKS WITH PRE-PAY SEE WHAT YOU ARE SPENDING When you get a smart meter you’ll start to see your energy differently. They enable you to monitor what you are using – and wasting – in near real time. You can identify the gadgets that guzzle power on your In-Home Display’s (IHD) traffic light system. Switching all your appliances on would move the dial to red, moving back into amber as some are switched off, through to green when everything is off. GOOD ENERGY HABITS It will encourage everyone in your household to adopt good energy habits. You can set energy saving goals and budgets because the IHD has an area that shows what you’re using in pounds and pence. You can even set an hourly rate that as a household you’re happy with, and your IHD will help you stick to that. NO MORE MANUAL READINGS Manual readings will become a thing of the past as smart meters are self-reading. Your meter will send all the details of your energy usage directly to your supplier. WORKS WITH PREPAY If you have a pre-pay meter you can simply top up on your mobile and your IHD will display when you’re nearly out of credit. There’s also an emergency credit button you can press if you need a bit of extra time before you are able to top up, say if you are waiting for funds to clear.

SMART Meter Billing Smart Meter billing is simple and easy! Your meter will send meter readings automatically at regular intervals, so you don’t have to worry about it! No estimated bills because readings are sent accurately on a regular basis through the secure network.

In Home Displays (IHD) Your in-home display is a handheld digital device that sits in your home. IHD come at no extra cost to customers. Your in-home display has many features to help you control your energy use and lower your bills. These include: - How much energy you’re using in near real time (it updates at least every 10 seconds for electricity and every half hour for gas) and can show you what it's costing you in pounds and pence (or if you prefer it, kwh or CO2 emissions) -How much energy you've used within the last day, week, and month.

Installation Process The installation process is straight forward. All you need to do is call your supplier and arrange a time and date for the installation. The installer will arrive and explain the process in more depth and will need to turn off the gas supply during the installation. Someone will need to be at the property during the installation!

Questions?