Tech Data gives retailers Verv to address smart meter potential

By Simon Meredith | 6th November 2017
  • Intelligent assistant out-smarts other smart meters, polling usage up to a million times a second
  • Monitors usage of individual appliances – not just overall consumption
  • Predicts when appliances are left on or about to fail

Basingstoke, 06 November 2017 – Tech Data Corporation (Nasdaq: TECD) is giving retailer and webstore customers added potential to address the emerging market for smart metres with the Verv home energy assistant.

The advanced smart device enables consumers to monitor electricity usage in their home and take control of their usage and bills. Installation is quick and requires no expertise. The ‘current clamp’ is of the device is simply attached to the electricity meter cable and the box is plugged into the mains power. The Verv will check the electricity supply up to a million times per second – compared to once every few seconds on most smart meters – and is clever enough to sense and identify individual home appliances and work out how much power each one is drawing, and how much each one is costing.

This information is fed to an app, which can be run on a tablet or smartphone, in real time. The Verv connects via WiFi to mobile devices and you can also be monitored remotely. The app gives detailed readings and information, allowing users to monitor and regulate their consumption. Alerts can be set for when certain thresholds are reached, or when devices are switched on. It also makes the home safer as it will notify the user if an appliance has been left on, and predict when it may be about to develop a fault.

It will even analyse the appliances being used and suggest eco-friendly alternatives for any that are running inefficiently. It also calculates the return on investment of buying a new appliance.

Jenny Parkinson, Business Development Manager – Smart Home & Networking at Tech Data, said: “Verv is a smart metering device that out-smarts all other smart meters by disaggregating consumption and giving the consumer detailed information on individual home appliances, it enables them to change their behaviour and potentially reduce their consumption and their bills. With the winter months ahead and everyone looking to save energy and reduce bills, the Verv is arriving at exactly the right time for retailers.”

What the Verv home energy assistant can do that a conventional smart meter can’t….

  • Recognise the brand and model of the appliance (and notify you if there has ever been a product recall on the product)
  • Tell if an appliance is faulty (without need for a smart plug)
  • Detect an appliance that has been left turned on
  • Alert users if a product needs servicing or may be about to fail

For more information about the Verv home energy assistant visit: https://verv.energy/.

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