Design choices made at the start of a project can have the biggest influence on long-term energy efficiency across the lifetime of a home. Outside of structural elements and heating, electrical can be another significant contributor to keeping energy use under control.

Lighting

LED lighting should now be standard throughout all homes, which will last significantly longer than other types of lighting and ensure very low energy use. Choosing lumen levels and light colour can be crucial for the ambience throughout a living space. Schneider Electric's specialists are available to give designers specific advice on projects.

Timers and time clocks

Timers help set devices to turn on and off as set, or to time out after a set duration of time. These not only improve safety for the home, but also help make savings on energy bills and provide that extra little bit of comfort for everyone. The PDL Iconic range has Bluetooth enabled timers and time clocks — letting homeowners easily control the timers set so they can adjust that heated towel rail to go a bit longer in the winter.

Bluetooth low energy

The entire PDL Iconic range of switches, dimmers and timers can be connected to a phone or tablet app through Bluetooth low energy mechanisms. This allows multiple devices in the home to be controlled efficiently with a few simple buttons on a smart device from anywhere in the home.

Home automation

For larger homes and those with an interest in all things technology, fully wired home automation systems allow multiple third-party devices to be programmed to run within a single system. This can ensure optimised energy use across pool systems, spa, irrigation, standalone devices, lighting, heating and more. Schneider Electric’s C-Bus system can also be used remotely for access anywhere in the world — great for baches and holiday homes to ensure heaters, lights, and other devices are only turned on as and when they need to be.

Electric vehicles

For those looking at energy use across an entire lifestyle, an electric vehicle may have come into consideration. To ensure safe and efficient charging, an electric vehicle charger is recommended for every home using an EV. Schneider Electric vehicle chargers use two-way communication between the charger and the car to ensure the right charging current as well as safety lockouts and fault detection.