HELPING RURAL COMMUNITIES TO WORK SMART AND LIVE SMART

Many rural communities draw the short straw when it comes to energy options, with homes that are often less energy efficient and dependent on more expensive heating fuels. The obvious solution would have been to harness wind, solar or hydro sources but rural communities often face barriers linked to the limitations of the local distribution network infrastructure. As a result, in the past local renewables have often not be harnessed and local community energy generation projects deemed too expensive.

However, a solution is at hand in the form of smart technology, which has the potential to help rural communities harness renewable energy and benefit from energy that is cheaper, more efficient and more secure. It can also encourage behaviour change in householders, leading to a reduction in their energy use.

And it’s not just residents in rural areas who can benefit from smart technology. Smart meters, being rolled out across Great Britain, are a stepping stone for the greater integration of renewable energy into our energy supply, across the country.