The Anonymous Widower

British Gas Joins Forces With Samsung To Help Customers Power Smarter Energy Use

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.

This is the sub-heading.

British Gas and Samsung have today announced the exciting first step in a long-term venture – aimed at helping customers better manage their energy use and increase the adoption of low carbon heating technologies in homes across Britain.

These are the first two paragraphs.

The collaboration will see British Gas integrate with Samsung’s SmartThings app to help customers optimise their home appliances to use energy when the cost and demand are lower. This is now possible through the integration of SmartThings Energy and British Gas’ PeakSave demand flexibility scheme informing customers (by sending notifications via their smartphone, TV or other compatible devices) of the best times to use household appliances to save money.

The PeakSave scheme includes PeakSave Sundays, running every Sunday until the end of February with half-price electricity from 11am to 4pm for British Gas customers and PeakSave Winter events which encourages customers to move their electricity use out of peak times when there is high demand on Britain’s energy grid.

As a Graduate Control Engineer, I believe that this could make optimising your energy use much easier.

• It would surely be a lot easier to check usage on your phone rather than a smart meter, when you perhaps cook a ready meal, so that you can see if your microwave or traditional cooker is cheapest.
• Suppose you and everybody, who lives with you are out for supper and British Gas want to cut off your gas for a reward, you can make an appropriate decision.
• Hopefully, if you have the right controls, you’ll be able to switch lights and appliances off and on.

The possibilities are endless.

I shall certainly be looking at the reviews of this app.

There is a section in the press release called Scaling Up Low Carbon Heating Opportunities, where this is said.

The collaboration will also help support customers in their journey to decarbonising their homes by introducing smart technologies in a way that is simple and empowering. From early 2024, British Gas will include Samsung heat pumps in its offering to British households to support the UK’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050.

The venture will see specially trained British Gas surveyors and engineers working with consumers to explain the benefits of heat pumps and then conducting the installations on-site. Samsung will be supporting workforce training as part of their efforts to upskill the heating industry to ensure there are enough installers to service the expected growing demand.

British Gas also offers customers the chance to purchase heat pumps through flexible financing methods. This, combined with the recently increased UK Government Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant of £7,500, creates an attractive package of financing options to help people make the transition more affordable.

Various plumbers, who I would trust, have given me different views about heat pumps.

I suspect the Samsung’s SmartThings app might be able to simulate your energy usage with or without the heat pump, as it would know your energy use with your current boiler.

I was doing similar calculations for chemical plants in the early 1970s at ICI, using a PACE 231-R computer.

Consider.

• It may look rather old fashioned, but it could solve a hundred simultaneous differential equations in one go.
• Two similar computers linked together were the analogue half of NASA’s moon mission simulator.
• Without these wonderful machines, NASA would not have been able to re-calculate the dynamics of Apollo 13 and the mission would be remembered as a disaster, rather than the first space rescue.

The average current smart phone has more computing power than a PACE 231-R.

What’s In It For Samsung?

I have a Samsung television, but unfortunately it has a screen fault because of age. So if I had the Samsung app and liked it, I might buy another Samsung TV.

Similarly, the app might give me a financial reason to buy a Samsung heat pump.

Samsung will sell more equipment.

What’s In It For Centrica?

Centrica would appear to be a loser, as bills will fall and they could be paying customers to not use energy.

But they are surely hoping that their market share will increase and I’m sure Samsung will give them a commission.

What’s In It For The Consumer?

Hopefully, they’ll get lower energy bills.

But also they might get a lot of convenience controlling their appliances and heating.

Conclusion

Using energy is becoming a computer game with monetary rewards.

Is the deal between Centrica/British Gas and Samsung another deal that has been brought to fruition by the Korean President’s visit to the UK?

It looks like this is the third recent deal signed between UK and Korean companies, after these two.

• South Korea, UK Strenghten Offshore Wind Ties
• UK And South Korea Help Secure Millions For World’s Largest Monopile Factory

I suspect, there might be a few more deals, if Charles and Camilla really turned on the charm.

In Mersey Tidal Project And Where It Is Up To Now, I wrote about talks between Liverpool City Council and Korea Water about a tidal barrage of the Mersey. This project must surely be a possibility!

This is said in the Wikipedia entry for Korean Air under Fleet Plans.

At the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines Assembly in 2018, Korean Air announced that it was considering a new large widebody aircraft order to replace older Airbus A330, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 777-300. Types under consideration for replacement of older widebody aircraft in the fleet include the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 XWB. At the International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting (IATA AGM) in Seoul, Chairman Walter Cho said Korean Air’s widebody order is imminent and it is considering an extra order of Airbus A220 Family including developing version, Airbus A220-500.

Note.

1. Airbus A350 XWB have Welsh wings and Rolls-Royce engines.
2. Airbus A220-500 are made in Canada with wings and composite parts from Belfast.  Rolls-Royce may have a suitable engine.

Could a deal have something in it for the UK?

Although Korea has its own SMR program, I wonder, if there could be a link-up between Korean industry and Rolls-Royce over SMRs?

 

 

 

January 24, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Business, Computing, Energy | Airbus, Airbus A350 XWB, Apollo 13, Apps, British Gas, Centrica, Control Engineering, Innovation, King Charles III, Korea, Liverpool City Region, Mersey Tidal Power, Mobile Phone, NASA, PACE 231-R, Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce SMR, Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station, Tidal Power