The outcomes from the Relish Smartwire™ pilot project have now been documented in the following report Relish Smartwire report 2014
The Smartwire™ is a simple to use power-down switch for all non-essential devices in the home – developed as part of the Relish initiative and initially tested in phase 1 in the Relish-it! community hub. It works like a hotel swipe card, but with a switch located near the front door that controls the whole home and allows essential devices to remain on, while powering down everything else, including standby switches.
In 2012 the Relish Smartwire™ was installed into 20 of our new build homes in New Brunswick Drive; since then the Relish team have been working with the residents of these properties comparing like for like Smartwire™ homes to non Smartwire™ homes and have established that this simple, affordable and cost effective initiative has helped our residents reduce their energy bills by up to 23%.
Indeed, these results along with the Relish initiative have helped to see the New Brunswick Drive development short-listed for the 2014 Sustainable Housing Green Housing Performance award for the sustainability features incorporated in the design.