INDEPENDENT energy charity, Marches Energy Agency has been awarded a £24,900 grant from the Cadent Foundation to support a new pilot project looking at how smart and innovative technologies can be used to reduce fuel poverty in Ludlow and south Shropshire.

It says that people are not taking full advantage of technology to help stay warm and cut bills.

The ‘Smarten Up, Power Down’ initiative will work with households across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Derbyshire to examine how the introduction of smart and high-tech energy saving solutions can be used to achieve long-term cuts in energy bills and encourage the uptake of energy saving measures.

Over 12 months, the charity will work intensively with 18 fuel poor households whose income has been significantly reduced by the recent economic downturn to reduce their energy bills. The project will trial smart and high-tech technologies such as Google Nest heating controls, Envirovent intelligent extractor fans, AirEx smart air bricks and Radbots, an occupancy sensing radiator controller. These will be applied alongside other tried and tested solutions and Marches Energy Agency will work with the participants to track and monitor their usage and savings.

Guidance materials and ‘How to’ videos will be created to offer advice and signposting services, helping people to save money and gain confidence in using smart technologies. In addition, 20 frontline energy advice workers will be trained and upskilled in the use of new smart measures, benefiting potentially thousands of households as part of the charity’s core activity.