There are five million social homes in the UK and many landlords struggle to know what is going on inside them, hindering them from reducing operating costs and improving quality of life for tenants. To help them do this, Switchee Ltd supplies 90 of the biggest housing providers with a scalable technology solution providing insights and analytics from its tens of thousands internet-connected thermostats.
Switchee has built its own hardware and connects to the cloud via the mobile phone network, rather than relying on residents’ own internet connections. Its patented device has motion, light, humidity, temperature, and air pressure sensors that enables it to judge how quickly a property heats and cools. Using this data, the system can then optimise heat settings remotely. The technology has been independently proven to reduce energy bills by 17%.
The humidity readings can help determine the risk of mould growth, and the other sensors can help pinpoint common housing stock maintenance issues, such as poor insulation or a failing boiler. The social housing provider Flagship Group is placing the Switchee device in 20,000 of its homes and can already see that for every pound invested in the technology, net two pounds is generated in operating efficiencies and a further two pounds in savings for residents.
Tom Robins originally trained as a chemical engineer and joined Switchee as its Chief Strategy Officer in 2020, becoming CEO a year later. Tom is responsible for helping structure the company’s short- to long-term objectives with its stakeholders and supporting his team to deliver them. He joined the Shott Scale Up Accelerator programme in 2022 and says, “I am looking forward to taking time to invest in my personal development and to learn from the coaching and mentoring. I will then use the resulting skills and expertise to stay ahead of the curve and prepare for our next challenges.”
Switchee’s potential has already been spotted and it has received millions of pounds in Series A and other funding. The company is further developing its connected hub for rented homes to enhance the way residents interact with their properties and help landlords manage their homes. Switchee’s momentum is likely to enable it to treble its revenue in the next 18 months.
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