In a world fIrst, Smappee smart energy monitors now include gas & water

Smappee is known worldwide as the energy monitor for electricity consumption by both private consumers and small and medium-sized businesses. That will now change with its expansion into gas and water. As well as monitoring electricity consumption, users will be able to see how much natural gas and water they use. This insight into consumption can lead to savings of 10% or more for an average household. This means the gas and water monitor actually pays for itself within a year. Smappee gives users the tools to take the next step in the energy transition.

Smappee has conquered the world in recent years with an energy monitor providing real-time readings of electricity use, down to individual appliances. Moreover, the monitor shows the yield of your solar panels, enabling users to align use to solar energy production. Studies show that consumers can reduce their energy consumption by 12% if they have real-time feedback on individual appliances. Savings can reach 30% if they replace old appliances with new, energy-efficient models.

Smappee app

The Smappee gas & water monitor enables significant savings in natural gas and water consumption. An average Belgian family pays almost twice as much for natural gas and water as they do for electricity, so the potential for savings is great. The gas and water monitor will cost 119 euro including VAT. Based on an average bill of 600 euro for water and 1,200 euro for natural gas, the gas and water monitor will pay for itself in just over six months.

“Until now, Smappee has focused on monitoring electricity,” says Stefan Grosjean, CEO and co-founder of Smappee, “but actually, that is only a third of the utility bill. The other two-thirds are gas and water, which makes the Smappee gas & water monitor a logical second step. Consumers still receive relatively vague bills from natural gas and water suppliers, much like with electricity. Our new tool should provide consumers with an insight into their consumption, enabling automatic savings. That’s good for them and for the planet.”

Water and gas as scarce resources
According to a study by the UN, by 2050, the demand for water will increase by more than 50%. If the current levels of water consumption continue, two-thirds of the world will be living with water shortages in ten years. This will affect the price of water.

In fact, water prices are already rising worldwide. In the United States, the price of tap water has increased by 41% between 2010 and 2015. It is hard to draw a comparison with Europe, as legislation is vastly different, however countries such as Germany and Hungary have taken the lead with pricing policies designed to lead to a reduction in consumption. Growing numbers of experts are demanding an increase in the price of drinking water to make consumption more sustainable. 
Real-time insight thanks to the Smappee gas & water monitor can help. 

In the wake of falling oil prices, the price of natural gas has also been in decline for some time. Just like oil, gas is highly dependent on geopolitical conditions and prices are unstable. Moreover, it is a fossil fuel with exhaustible reserves. Sustainable consumption is a must.

“Smappee wants to take the lead in the energy transition,” says Stefan Grosjean. “We want to give consumers independence and control over their own use and production. We see these as steps towards the time when homes will function as decentralised water and energy hubs.”

Smappee as a traffic controller at a busy intersection

With the Smappee gas & water monitor, consumers see real-time data about their use. It means a poorly set up or broken thermostat can be easily detected. If people modify their behaviour, for example by resetting the thermostat, they can save 10% or even more.

Thanks to the leak alarm, you no longer have to worry about potential gas or water leaks. Besides the dangers, such leaks are expensive: a two-millimetre hole in a water pipe translates into 192 litres of leaking water an hour. That is about double the average daily use per person in a Belgian family.

The Smappee gas & water monitor is easy to install: simply place the sensors on the existing natural gas and water meters. It is a hi-tech way to help the environment and save money at the same time.

“Homes are evolving into busy intersections where energy is not only consumed but also produced and even stored,” says Stefan Grosjean. “Smappee wants to be the traffic controller by telling an appliance such as a fridge, to use more when the sun is shining and less during the night. The consumer can track this on visual displays, which have already won design awards.” 

In this vision of homes as small, decentralised energy plants, the importance of applications based on the IoT will increase. A smart energy grid and battery technology are essential in this, but the transition will only be complete when water and gas are included, giving the consumer full control.