In recent years, the concept of healthy homes has become more than just a buzzword. It has become a challenge for professionals in the HVAC, social housing and retrofit sectors. Andrew Keating at Mixergy looks at how we can enhance comfort and wellbeing in homes without increasing costs or complexity.
While headlines often highlight systems like heat pumps and mechanical ventilation in the drive towards decarbonisation, the significant energy load required by hot water in many homes deserves equal attention. Addressing this efficiently can pave the way for rapid, scalable progress in improving overall home energy efficiency and sustainability.
We believe the solution lies in smart hot water cylinders. They do much more than heat water. They manage when and how water is heated, offering substantial benefits to the householder, housing provider and the electricity grid.
For housing providers, the integration of advanced sensors, software, and connectivity, means that smart hot water cylinders can do far more than heat water. They can monitor occupancy patterns, learn user behaviour and adapt heating schedules accordingly. Using machine learning and predictive algorithms, they can preheat water when electricity tariffs are lowest, or when solar generation is at its peak, thereby reducing reliance on the grid.
In addition, they will integrate seamlessly with existing setups, eliminating the need to commit to a single heat source or control platform.
Smart hot water systems can deliver improved SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) scoring – and HEM (Home Energy Model) scoring when it replaces SAP under the forthcoming Future Homes Standard – and reduce the strain on the grid, supporting decarbonisation at scale.
By using off-peak electricity or, for properties with solar PV installed, when there’s excess solar energy, smart cylinders can reduce peak demand without requiring user intervention. For the resident, this means greater comfort, unnecessary disruption and, most importantly, lower energy bills.
With the introduction of the Future Homes Standard (FHS) later in 2025, and HEM replacing SAP for performance assessments, the focus on hot water systems has never been more critical. And the forthcoming Smart and Secure Electricity System (SSES) framework will require smart appliances, including hot water cylinders, to meet high standards for interoperability, cybersecurity and demand-side response from 2027 onwards, underscoring the urgency for industry-wide adoption.
Mixergy’s smart cylinders are already equipped with advanced controls, tariff optimisation features, occupancy sensing capabilities and machine learning algorithms. These innovations enable them to ‘learn’ usage patterns, optimise energy consumption, and even store excess solar energy, effectively transforming the cylinder into a thermal battery.
For specifiers, the adoption of smart hot water systems is not just an option, it’s a necessity. By designing for the future now, they can ensure regulatory compliance, enhance sustainability and future-proof housing stock effectively. The evolution of hot water cylinders from passive storage units to intelligent ‘nodes’, like Mixergy smart cylinders, signals a shift towards smarter, more efficient homes and a more sustainable future.
