AliceBritish Gas has launched an online reality TV-style show named Smart Street, which follows the antics of three families over the course of three months, with the aim of documenting how they go about their daily lives using various smart technology.
Viewers will be able to follow a young couple that have moved into their first home, a family with young children, and a family with teenagers living in the home.
Each ‘family’ creates their own video diaries to complement the footage captured by ‘customer engagement’ agency, OgilvyOne; content will be produced on a weekly basis until October.
“At British Gas we believe that nobody is better placed to be able to identify the true value that a connected home can bring to real families,” says Margaret Jobling, marketing director at British Gas. “We see this campaign as a truly unique social experiment, showcasing what matters most to people when it comes to smart technology in the home.”
“When British Gas asked us to think about getting customers to really engage in smart technology we wanted to take a new and very different approach,” adds Charlie Wilson, chairman and chief creative officer at OgilvyOne.
“What we have done here is real customer-led content – in bite-size episodic chunks – think Gogglebox for energy – and we are thrilled at how the content is developing. Obviously these are genuine families – and with that you get all the natural drama of family life – as well as some of the pain – but that is what will keep it as entertaining as it is informative.”
British Gas is putting its weight behind the connected home by encouraging homeowners to invest in Hive Active Heating, a smart thermostat that lets users control their heating and hot water from their smartphone, tablet or laptop.
“Hive Active Heating is about saving money and being efficient but it’s also about control,” says Kass Hussain, director of Connected Homes at British Gas.
“In the future, Hive technology will let you link a camera in your home with a presence sensor, flood detector or the smoke and fire alarms and notify you when something needs your attention. I can explain connected products to you until the cows come home, but people don’t get it until they see it in action. Having the control to switch your heating on and off from your phone is not only more convenient but helps to save money too. The average customer could save up to £150 a year with a Hive thermostat.”
British Gas says that all of its gas and electricity customers will be offered smart meters by 2020. They are part of the government’s plan to reduce carbon emissions, making it easier for homes around the UK to save energy.
At the moment, British Gas offers its customers smart home starter kit, with prices ranging from £10 to just under £500.
Under £10
The Betron USB double port charger keeps both a smartphone and tablet charged at the same time.
Under £20
This USB port and wall charger can be easily installed, making tangled charger leads a thing of the past.
The Wireless Smart Alarm Shaker tucks in neatly under a pillow, connecting to a smartphone wirelessly via Bluetooth with an easy-to-use App.
The Tile is a small Bluetooth tracker that helps users locate the things that easily get misplaced, such as keys.
Under £40
The One For All Smart Zapper allows users to control up to 21 devices in their home at any one time. The all-in-one control comes with an advanced app to use with a smartphone or tablet and a tabletop zapper for quick access to control settings.
Under £50
The Parrot Flower Power acts as a plant-sitter while the user is away. The sensor reads the sunlight exposure a plant is receiving and keeps tabs on soil moisture, alerting users if the plant needs watering.
Under £70
The Pet Porte Smart Flap Microchip Cat Flap features a night mode that prevents a cat from wandering the streets at night and gives the user an audible beep when it returns home safe and sound. It also comes with a handy draught excluder.
Under £100
The Aria Wi-Fi smart scale tracks the user’s weight target progress, logs food intake and monitors activity and sleep. It can keep track of up to eight users, keeping all individual results private.
Under £250
The Hive Active Heating Thermostat controls hot water and heating from a smartphone, sets time schedules and makes sure a home never dips to below 7°C. A range of coloured frames from the Dulux Feature Wall collection are available as an optional extra for £19.99 each.
Under £500
The Philips Izzy wireless multiroom speaker uses the speaker’s own wireless network to control and play music from a phone no matter where the user is in the house.
Meet Sean and Amy, who have just moved into their first home:
Gill and Vic: The smart tech arrives:
Adrian and Gabrielle: The smart tech arrives: