Origin gets smart about home energy use

Origin Energy has launched its smart home energy management and conservation platform, Origin Smart – a product the energy retailer says will give its customers “unprecedented visibility and control over their energy bills,” using tools that offer greater insight and understanding of household energy use and managing bills.

Origin Smart – launched in Victoria this morning by Origin CEO Energy Markets, Frank Calabria – is a free-to-access web portal that uses half hourly data from a household’s smart meter and converts it into an analysis of electricity consumption and costs. This allows households to see how much energy they are using throughout the day and to predict the cost of future electricity bills, while also offering tailored energy efficiency tips, and the means to set personal goals for energy saving.

“Origin Smart will provide households with the ability to measure their usage and costs in half hour blocks – that is 48 times a day or 17,520 times per annum, versus the traditional four times per year,” said Calabria at the launch at Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station.

Describing the launch as “a landmark day for Australia’s energy sector” and the start of a “revolution” for energy consumers, Calabria said it was the first time Victorian customers have been able to understand what energy is costing them as they use it, “thereby empowering them to make decisions about their energy usage that could make a difference to their electricity bill and better manage household budgets.”

And, as such, it is probably long overdue. According to Origin, their new offering supports the 87 per cent of Australian households looking for ways to conserve energy in the face of rising energy bills.

Early feedback from a recent trial of the platform indicates a strong consumer appetite for the service, Calabria said, a service that Origin expects will set it apart in Australia’s remarkably change-resistant energy market.

The trial revealed customers visited the portal frequently and spent an average of eight minutes per visit reviewing their energy consumption and predicting future bills, with noted “strong engagement” with the website’s ‘Energy Savings Tips’ and ‘Ask the Expert’ features.

Calabria said Victoria was “the natural first choice” for Origin Smart, due to the state’s high penetration of smart meters. “Over time we expect the appetite for this service will steadily grow in other states,” he said, “particularly if the necessary supporting infrastructure is rolled out.”

Victorians can see the technology in action at the Origin Smart Home at Southern Cross station in Melbourne until the end of the week.