Why do we ask for your smart meter data, and what do we do with it?

Why we ask for your smart meter data

In short, we want to:

• Understand how people use energy now, and how energy usage trends are changing over time (for example, as more people get solar panels and switch to electric vehicles (EVs)).
• Use what we learn to make sure that the energy transition (from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources) works for everyone.

We want to build an accurate picture of how real people use energy in real homes.

With it, we can look for answers to all sorts of questions, such as:

• How are people heating their homes and charging their EVs?
• What will the nation’s energy demand look like when more homes have heat pumps and EVs?
• If more people charge EVs at home at night, how does that affect demand for electricity? Is there enough supply, at the right times?
• With more homes installing heat pumps, is there a noticeable difference in electricity usage when the weather suddenly gets colder?
• How do older homes with gas boilers use heating? What can we learn from those homes that might help us develop better energy efficiency measures, and help them switch to effective low carbon heating?

We can’t get answers to those questions through estimates and guesswork. We need data from real households, of all shapes and sizes. From small studios and maisonettes to large detached properties, and every option in between. People living on their own, and people living with large families. The variety is important: we don’t want to exclude any sort of home or family from our dataset.

The nation’s energy system is changing, with lots of innovative new ideas for products and services popping up, and more to come. That changes things for you, as consumers, because you’ll probably want to invest in products and services that save you money. And it changes things for companies working in the energy sector - they’re keen to understand consumer behaviour, so they can build the right products and services in the first place.

What we do with your smart meter data

Once you’ve connected your smart meter to the Living Lab, we use your data - along with data from thousands of other Labbers - to study changing energy usage patterns across the UK.

We also ask you for information about you and your household. Things like: where you live, how many people live with you, how old you are, and so on.

Then we combine your smart meter data with your household information, to help us understand how different types of household use energy. It’s important that we understand why people do certain things, as much as what those things are.

We use this combined data to help our customers - companies working on new ideas for low carbon products and services. Their work tends to be cutting-edge stuff, so we usually call them “innovators”. They are often startups and small businesses; sometimes they might be academics doing scientific research, or large energy companies.

Your data helps them to spot gaps in the market, and come up with new ways to heat homes, charge cars, or help the energy system make the best use of clean, renewable power.

We often invite Living Labbers to join trials to test something specific. If you’re taking part in a trial - perhaps of a new gadget, or a new energy service - your data helps its designers understand how it’s being used, and how well it’s working. They can check that they’re heading in the right direction. This is really important for them, because it means they can change course early, if the tests suggest there’s something wrong.

Companies like this may pay us for access to the Living Lab data, and we use that money to fund our work, and the growth of the Lab. We’re a not-for-profit organisation. We get some funding from the government, but we’re also expected to pay our way.

Your personal privacy is incredibly important, and absolutely guaranteed. No-one who has access to the data can pinpoint exactly who you are, or exactly where you live. Innovators using the data can see patterns, but they can’t identify people. (If we ever need to share data that could be used to identify you - for example, this might be necessary if you’re having new equipment installed in your home - we will always ask your permission first).

Just by signing up to be part of the Living Lab, you’re making a contribution to all of this. You’re helping to work out what makes this country tick - almost literally. The better we understand how people use energy, the better we can help everyone meet their needs with clean energy, at a fair price. So, thanks for being part of this. 

Haven't connected your smart meter yet? 

If you've already joined the Living Lab but haven't connected your smart meter, now's the time to do it. It only takes a few minutes, and you'll start making a difference straight away. Check the Your Tech page to see how.