Loop Troop

The Miller* family embarked on a mission to enhance their home’s energy efficiency after installing 90mm of external wall insulation in July 2022. As winter approached, they were looking for a user-friendly monitoring solution for their SMETS1 smart meter to track their gas consumption. Discovering Loop through a BBC program, they decided to give it a try.

Using Loop, they could easily access daily, weekly, monthly, and annual data. Leveraging their energy supplier’s bill information, they downloaded five years’ worth of their monthly energy usage for a comprehensive pre-and-post-insulation comparison.

The results were remarkable. From September 2022 to January 2023, their gas use dropped by an average of 58%, equating to over £320 in savings compared to the previous five-year average. This validated their investment, with winter gas use surpassing past averages significantly.

Inspired by Loop’s solar simulation feature, the Miller’s explored further ways to cut their energy costs, considering solar panels and a battery storage system to cover their electricity base load. They found this solution would also allow them to use excess solar energy to heat water using their immersion heater, before selling power back to their supplier. They’re planning to fund this installation via a Home Energy Scotland Loan – an interest free loan for 5-10 years on efficiency upgrades.

* All users real names have been changed