While the deep winter chill is slowly eroding, the cool weather has persisted, seeping past its welcome into spring. As we continue to wait for warmer months to arrive, the most vulnerable low-income families are struggling to meet the burgeoning energy costs accompanying the stagnating weather. Amidst soaring energy prices, the harsh reality is becoming inescapable as exacerbating financial strains pose a threat to the well-being of those already living on tight budgets after the expected winter chill.
These households have navigated a daunting landscape throughout winter, where staying warm has been a luxury they can scarcely afford. According to recent data, a significant portion of these households allocate a disproportionately high percentage of their income towards utility bills, often making difficult choices between heating their homes and meeting other essential needs.
“While governmental efforts make little headway into addressing the needs of these underserved communities,” said Oliver Hynes, Founder of Hub Controls™ and inventor of HubController intelligent thermostats, established in Ireland and now expanding in the U.S., “innovative solution providers are emerging to provide relief and support at a self-sustaining price. By leveraging advanced home automation technologies, the company has developed several systems to effectively manage and optimize household energy usage, bringing a new level of control and efficiency to homes.”
Installation of HubControls smart thermostats and the accompanying self-learning HubBrain™ system will enable ubiquitous and autonomous control over the energy systems in your home. Aggregating the data provided by the selected smart thermostat, the HubBrain constant analyzes the data for key variables attributed to the millions of data points across the home. In the case of a possible cost-saving scenario, the Hub Brain reacts accordingly to provide an average energy savings of 33% to users.
All actions taken and savings made are viewable from either the system dashboard or phone app, where users are also able to set several customizable parameters for the system. So far, the system integration has met sizeable success while offering several benefits aimed at providing value for low-income users, including:
- Average savings of $64/month, a number far exceeding the $20/month cost to provide immediate ROI
- HVAC costs reduced by 36%
- A trial period of 60 days on properties; if the value is not proved at a minimum of 15%, all fitted HubControls devices are removed free of charge at the end of this period
“By empowering users with real-time insights and customizable controls, families can effectively manage their heating and energy usage through this pay-for-itself service, ultimately reducing the financial strain caused by excessive utility bills,” Hynes explained.
In the face of mounting energy challenges, the importance of supporting and empowering low-income families cannot be overstated. It is not merely a matter of warming homes but also a commitment to ensuring dignity, security, and opportunity for all members of our communities. By embracing innovative technologies and solutions like the Hub Controls system, we can work towards a future where no family is left in the cold due to unmanageable energy costs.
Read the full article here
