FAQs
Where does Greener Hours get energy forecast data for each region of the UK?
Greener Hours uses data supplied by carbonintensity.org.uk via its API (Application Programming Interface). The API has been developed by the UK’s National Grid ESO, in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund Europe, University of Oxford Department of Computer Science and WWF. The API provides programmatic access to estimated carbon intensity data. Greener Hours takes the carbon intensity data at the furthest forecast point (48hours) and then monitors in real-time to check and adjust for any refinements in the modelling. Whilst currently available across 14 geographical regions in the UK, Greener Hours is planning to offer a more tailored projection of the Greener Hours to users through understanding existing energy usage on a per-household basis.
How are my CO2 savings worked out?
Greener Hours calculates your maximum CO2 savings using a series of day-specific data points. First, we take a weighted interval average value for the carbon intensity of the energy mix at the time you pledge and confirm your appliance usage within the app. We then apply a day-specific benchmark intensity figure (based on trailing and future intensity values over the day) to calculate a carbon intensity delta for the appliance use. Finally, we take typical appliance run cycle data (duration and consumption signature) to calculate the maximum CO2 saving from using the appliance at the time recorded within Greener Hours.
How are my GH Points calculated?
Greener Hours calculates your GH Points based on three separate actions: 1) your appliance use (pledge and confirm), 2) households you recommend to use Greener Hours (and that enter your unique referral code), and iii) the subsequent actions of those referred households. Actions 2) and 3) are explained within the Greener Hours app, so here we focus on Action 1). GH Points for pledging an appliance use are fixed. For appliance usage, GH Points are awarded by factoring i) the appliance’s consumption signature, ii) the specific carbon intensity curve profile (e.g. gradient and inflexion points) around the recorded time of appliance use, and iii) the weighted baseline intensity for the day (see Point 2).
How does Greener Hours calculate energy consumption profiles for each appliance type?
Greener Hours uses the latest consumption data for domestic appliances. We use a number of sources to compile and verify these data, from manufacturers’ websites, to the outputs of organisations such as the Environmental Change Institute within the University of Oxford. We also take typical cycle duration figures for each appliance based on real-world use cases.
Greener Hours also takes typical consumption figures (in terms of engine size, emissions and annual mileage) to convert CO2 savings into car journeys at specific points within the app’.
How does the Greener Hours Referrals process work?
For Greener Hours, the more community members we have, the greater the impact we can create in terms of reducing the carbon intensity of the UK energy grid, and sending a clear message to the energy market that we support the use and growth of renewables. Plus it helps each of us to feel better day to day to know we’re exercising our power to lower our carbon footprint by using smarter energy. So leveraging your own network of family, friends and colleagues, we can travel further and faster.
For each household you refer to Greener Hours, you’ll receive a fixed number of GH Points to add to your own household account. In addition, you continue to receive additional GH Points, based on a percentage of the GH Points being earned by all those households you’ve referred to Greener Hours. Finally, you’ll receive further GH Points from all the active referrals made by those households you referred to Greener Hours (this will be a smaller percentage of this second tier of referrals).
This is our way of encouraging and rewarding you as a Greener Hours user for increasing the potential of your impact to reduce carbon by not just using smarter energy at home, but by including your family, friends and colleagues on this journey.
What is the Greener Hours Community?
The Community tile on the Greener Hours app’ shows the aggregated impact of everyone using Greener Hours. Within the community are all of your referrals. Alongside showing the total impact of the community, we are also working on showing how your personal network of referrals sits within the wider community. The Greener Hours community is key to increasing the impact of using smarter energy: to drive significant carbon savings and send a clear signal to the market that we’re supporting a faster move to renewables to power the UK. As the Greener Hours community grows, our plan is to offer a number of preferential products and services that can further support everyone’s move to using cleaner smarter energy more often. We’ll be announcing more on this over the coming six months.
Staying in email contact
If you’d like to share your feedback on using Greener Hours, or if you’ve questions about the app and its mission which we’ve not covered here, you can reach us here. We’re a small team (at the moment) but we aim to get back to any email from the Greener Hours community within 48hrs.