Homeowner uses smart home technology to save £5,000 on winter heating bill.
Mike Whitlock and his wife Sue live in The Old Station on the edge of the North Yorkshire moors. The property originally built to serve the Industrial Revolution is now proving to be a test bed for the latest smart homes technology.
Over the past two winters Mike has used LightwaveRF home solutions to reduce their oil consumption from around 6,000 litres per winter down to just 600. This year and last, Mike estimates that he has saved a staggering £5,000. Comprising an array of buildings that have been joined together as part of an on-going renovation project the Station doubles as the couple’s home and office. It is the multiple “zones” have created something of a complicated – not to mention costly – task when it comes to heating.
Step forward tech enthusiast Mike, who invested in LightwaveRF’s smart heating technology to overcome the challenge – and save thousands of pounds in the process. His clever solution has been to heat all four zones in the property separately. LightwaveRF’s thermostats and boiler switches clever 360 degree feedback software enables Mike to monitor and regulate his heating.
Home or away, with the free to download LightwaveRF App Mike is always in complete control from his phone or tablet. Every radiator valve, relay and sensor connects to the LightwaveRF App via the LightwaveRF Link – a small plug and play device that simply plugs into a standard WiFi broadband router.
Mike said: “Why use 15 radiators when you only need two?! By setting the heating in each zone to just come on when we need it we saved £400 in the first three weeks, more than covering the cost of our LightwaveRF investment.“
He adds the principles he has applied at The Station would work well in a typical three bedroom family home, and advocates two zones divided by living and sleeping areas, providing cost-saving and energy efficiency benefits.
Mike uses LightwaveRF Thermostats and Boiler Switches to monitor the temperature and control his zone valves accordingly. This can also be done using the LightwaveRF Radiator Valves, which control individual radiators and can be fitted in seconds.
Like many people, Mike used to dread the annual winter heating bill. Not anymore.
From cost saving energy saving solutions, heating ideas and illuminating lighting ideas for more information visit www.lightwaveRF.com.