Choose another country or region to see content specific to your location.
Six reasons why Radbot 1 is right for social landlords and tenants

On July 14th, I had the privilege of presenting at the Smart Social Housing Innovation Exchange , an event hosted by Blackburn-based social landlord Together Housing Group.

It was billed as an opportunity for social landlords ‘to share energy efficiency innovation and good practice’, and it didn’t disappoint.
In a lively discussion, housing providers from throughout the region shared their experiences. In addition to discussing net-zero, they were eager to share practical strategies to tackle the rising energy cost.
It was also a great opportunity for me to present Radbot 1 to what is undoubtedly a key market, to gauge the reaction from social landlords, and to answer their questions ahead of the launch of Radbot 1 in September.
Radbot 1 is a smart, easy-to-fit Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV) that turns radiators on and off based on room occupancy, reducing the heating bills.

Here are the key highlights and some helpful insights I gained from the event.

1  Demand for quick and easy energy efficiency
We all accept that large-scale investment in building fabric and new heating systems will eventually decarbonise housing and hit net-zero. Nevertheless, fuel poverty continues to plague households and people as the cost of energy spirals. Landlords appreciated that as a product, Radbot 1 is financially attainable and can be fitted today in five minutes and begin lowering fuel bills immediately. It’s a solution for today, not tomorrow.

2  Radbot 1 is the business case for Radbot 1
Social landlords need to see a business case before investing in any new technology, the bigger the investment, the stronger the business case. Radbot 1 is slightly different; a single unit costs approximately £30, improves a property’s EPC rating by up to six points, is endorsed by the energy savings trust, and can be scaled up based on impact and tenant satisfaction. With energy prices set to rise again in October, installing Radbot 1 is a low-risk and low-cost option. The benefits of Radbot 1 outweigh the risks of doing nothing.

3  Radbot 1 can be scaled up
Using one smart Radbot 1 per radiator allows it to be scaled up either per household or across portions of housing stock.For example, a Radbot 1 could be installed on a single radiator in one household and then judge the impact. Equally, a social landlord could fit Radbot 1 to a limited number of homes and again evaluate feedback from tenants.

4  Set and forget for the tenant – and the landlord
From talking to landlords, it is clear that supporting tenants with new technology is more challenging than purchasing and installing, with customer service staff and engineers requiring training in maintenance and technical support. Radbot 1 is a genuine set-and-forget device for the landlord and tenant. There’s no smartphone app, no web connection needed, no password to remember – nothing to do except turn it on and let it do its thing.

5  No risk to the tenant
Radbot 1 is installed on radiators rather than the boiler, it cannot acidentally negatively affect the boiler settings, so it can only reduce tenant energy bills. There is no risk of the tenant making the settings incorrectly and increasing their bills. Even if tenants repeatedly press the ‘boost’ button to give a quick blast of heat, this will creep their energy bills back towards the level set by the boiler.

6  Radbot 1 offers more than words
Although many social landlords have been forced to cut back on auxiliary services, most still retain some tenant financial or energy support team. The cost of living crisis is hitting low-income households the hardest. With the cost of energy forecasted to rise again in October, Radbot 1 could be a practical and simple solution that social landlords can offer their tenants. Radbot 1 launches in early September, but we are already taking orders from social landlords, with introductory packages available.

If you’d like to place an order or find out more about Radbot 1, please contact Matt Sheen at matt.sheen@securemeters.com.

Matt Sheen is the Application Manager for Radbot at Secure UK Ltd. For more information on Radbot 1 please visit www.securemeters.com/radbot1