Greater Control Over Home Energy Consumption with AlertMe.com March 11, 2009
AlertMe.com, Europe’s smart home pioneer, has announced the launch of the AlertMe SmartPlug appliance controllers, the first accessories to be released from its new home Energy Saving service. Today’s announcement sees AlertMe extending the capabilities of its online home platform, which launched in early 2008 with the initial Home Monitoring and Security application.
The AlertMe SmartPlugs measure energy consumption and automate mains appliances in the home – switching appliances on and off automatically to both conserve power and to protect the home. As part of the AlertMe system, the SmartPlugs allow you to monitor energy consumption levels and control appliances remotely, via a web interface, email or phone. In showing how much it costs to turn on that extra light, run a half load of washing, or boil a full kettle, the SmartPlugs are designed both to enable and motivate more efficient behaviour and allow people to make cost savings on their bills.
AlertMe 2.0
Concurrent with the SmartPlug launch, AlertMe has also released AlertMe 2.0, the latest version of its online home platform. Whilst supporting AlertMe’s new Energy devices, AlertMe 2.0 also offers a host of new general home management features, at no extra charge to existing AlertMe users.
AlertMe 2.0 functionality specific to the SmartPlugs includes:
• Critical appliance management
Alerts you immediately if key appliances like fridges or freezers stop working or lose power.
Automatically switches off appliances, such as irons or hair straighteners, if you happen to leave home without turning them off.
• Remote control
Enables the management of appliances remotely - for example, boil the kettle on the way home from work or switch a light on ready for your return.
• Energy consumption
Use live and historical data to easily measure the power consumed by any mains appliance. Having a precise view of how much energy is being consumed may encourage a change in behaviour relating to the use of certain appliances and thereby help to reduce associated costs.
• Security light control
Activate security lights in response to any event. For example, trigger lights to come on if the doorbell rings or if motion is detected in a hall or on a driveway.
‘Follow-me’ lighting. This allows you to light areas automatically when someone enters the appropriate location.
Pilgrim Beart, co-founder of AlertMe.com commented, “With the average cost of home energy now exceeding 10% of disposable income, consumers are looking for energy-efficiency measures to reduce their bills. To achieve this, customers need information at their fingertips to show where their energy is being spent, and then the means to control it.”
He continued, “It is truly exciting to be able to announce the first ever online consumer service that enables people to both manage and easily understand their energy consumption, over any period of time, and across different appliances.”
Following the SmartPlugs the other accessories rounding out the Energy application are due for release in the Spring of 2009. These include a wireless heating controller to enable far more precise control of household energy use from easy to use interfaces, such as the Web or a mobile phone, and a “whole household” electricity-reading accessory to measure overall household consumption and break this information into meaningful information – a vital component for helping people reduce their bills. The AlertMe SmartPlug is available now at a cost of £25 Inc Vat.
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About AlertMe.com
Founded in 2006 and based in Cambridge, UK, AlertMe.com was established by Adrian Critchlow and Pilgrim Beart, both successful serial entrepreneurs. The company is a leader in the field of the web-connected home, driving innovation in Internet and mobile communications for the consumer market. AlertMe.com provides an intelligent service that enables people to protect, monitor and control their homes from their mobile phones and the Web.
Additional information can be found at www.alertme.com.
For further press information please contact:
Natasha Rice: +44 7919 157923 or Natasha@alertme.com