It also helps our environment
The world today is at a crucial point of striving to achieve energy savings and replacing hardware with new more energy efficient devices. IoT is at the forefront of this revolution, providing smart solutions in everyday life.
Since the introduction of IoT into the smart home industry the energy management has been transformed. The use of smart devices has led to reducing costs and achieving less environmental impact.
Environmental Impact
There is a wide range of devices that belong to the IoT family and are contributing to the change.
Smart thermostats are small but powerful IoT devices that learn household patterns and adjust heating and cooling. By optimising these settings that are based on occupancy patterns, smart thermostats can generate up to 10 % savings on energy bills.
Another example would be automated lighting systems. This smart IoT solution is capable of adjusting light brightness based on natural lighting patterns as well as turning the lights off whenever a room is unoccupied. The energy savings from this solution can range from 7 to even 27%. And that’s savings from lighting alone.
Energy-efficient appliances are yet another example of smart devices that can turn the tide of the struggle for energy efficiency. Smart refrigerators and washing machines optimise their operation based on energy demand. Furthermore, these devices can schedule usage during low rates off-peak usage hours.
The above-mentioned devices are a game changer in reducing households’ carbon footprint. It might seem irrelevant in comparison to the footprint that industry or transportation generates but imagine millions of homes that would shift to these kinds of solutions. That would certainly generate enormous savings and have a positive impact on the climate.
Mill
Mill is an example of applying smart IoT solutions to home grounds. Their smart heaters, sockets and heat pumps are not only great for managing heating and cooling but also allow remote control using a dedicated app. In order to manage the power bills Mill app allows to track the energy usage of all Mill devices under the user’s control. Based on the data provided by the app it is possible to customize the heaters’ heating plan to achieve optimal savings. Apart from being cutting-edge IoT devices, Mill’s hardware also has the looks. Take a look at their website and check it out.
Meet Karen
It has been a busy winter day in the office for Karen. It is 16.00 and it is time to go home. Just a fast look at her Mill app to check the temperature in her apartment and she can go get into her car and make the 1 hour drive. Karen’s only dream now is sitting in her favorite chair with and diving deep into her favorite book series. But will it be cozy and warm in her living room? Well. Yes. Karen knows that her electricity provider charges the lowest wage in the evening so before she starts her drive home she turns on her Mill heaters using the app. She only needs to heat the living room, the other rooms are sufficiently warm. How does she know that? Because she sees the current temperature for all her rooms in the app. By the time she reaches home, her apartment will have the perfect condition. Moreover, the smart heaters will guarantee that the conditions in her apartment will always be spot on. The devices follow a weekly plan that he has set up in the app and every weekday after 16.00 her living room will have the perfect temperature.
How IoT Supports the UK’s Net Zero Goals
Reaching the UK’s net zero target by 2050 requires innovative energy solutions across homes, businesses, and communities. IoT technology plays a key role by enabling smarter, data-driven decisions at the individual level—without major structural changes.
Here’s how IoT directly supports the UK’s environmental ambitions:
- Demand-side flexibility: Devices can respond to pricing signals or grid demand, shifting usage to off-peak times when renewables are more abundant.
- Integration with renewable energy: Smart systems coordinate with rooftop solar, battery storage, and EV charging to balance household generation and consumption.
- Enhanced energy literacy: IoT apps help users track carbon intensity, not just usage, encouraging greener behaviour.
- Upgrading old housing stock: Many UK homes are poorly insulated; IoT allows precise control of energy use even in these environments.
These features make IoT a quiet but powerful contributor to national energy strategy—empowering households to act without sacrificing comfort.
Smart Grid Integration: A Connected Future
Smart grid systems are modernising how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed in the UK. IoT devices are central to this transformation, creating a two-way relationship between users and the grid.
Benefits include:
- Dynamic pricing optimisation – Smart meters and appliances allow households to shift energy-intensive tasks to periods with lower tariffs.
- Grid stability – When many devices work in sync, demand is automatically reduced during peak times, supporting grid resilience.
- Local generation support – IoT enables households with solar or wind systems to export energy more efficiently, helping local networks absorb variable renewables.
- Data-driven maintenance – Utility providers can identify faults or inefficiencies more quickly using device feedback, reducing downtime and waste.
As energy needs grow—particularly with the rise in electric vehicles—the smart grid offers a sustainable path forward, and IoT is the bridge that makes it accessible for everyday users.
Challenges and Considerations in IoT Adoption
Adopting IoT technologies in UK homes offers clear benefits, but it’s not without challenges. Understanding these hurdles helps guide better product choices and policy design.
- Affordability: Despite long-term savings, initial costs of smart thermostats, plugs, and appliances may deter some households—especially during a cost-of-living crisis.
- Infrastructure limitations: Rural areas or older properties may lack the strong Wi-Fi or updated wiring required for reliable device performance.
- Data security concerns: IoT devices collect and transmit sensitive data. Without strong encryption or privacy safeguards, there’s a risk of unauthorised access or misuse.
- Digital skills gap: Not all users are comfortable setting up or managing smart systems. Elderly users or non-tech-savvy individuals may struggle to access the full benefits.
- Overdependence on cloud systems: If apps or cloud services fail, users may lose control of heating or energy monitoring tools.
Policy incentives and public education will be key to addressing these issues while ensuring no group is left behind in the transition to smarter, greener living.
Government Incentives and Energy-Saving Schemes
There are several UK-wide and regional programmes aimed at supporting energy-efficient upgrades—many of which align well with IoT technologies.
Key schemes include:
- ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation) – Offers support for low-income and vulnerable households to improve heating and insulation. Smart controls can often be installed alongside.
- Smart Metering Programme – A government initiative to offer every home a smart meter, enabling better visibility of energy usage and potential savings through smart IoT integration.
- Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) – Households with solar panels can be paid for the electricity they export, and IoT energy monitors help track and optimise this process.
- Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) – Focused on off-gas-grid homes, this scheme can include funding for intelligent heating controls.
- Time-of-use tariff schemes – Offered by energy suppliers, these tariffs reward users who consume energy during off-peak times. IoT devices can automate energy use to match these patterns.
Awareness and uptake of these schemes can accelerate smart tech adoption while easing financial pressure.
The Role of Machine Learning in Energy Optimisation
Machine learning (ML) enhances IoT systems by making them adaptive and predictive. Unlike fixed-programme devices, ML-powered tools evolve with your lifestyle and adjust automatically.
How ML enhances energy management:
- Behavioural learning – Devices track your habits (e.g., when you wake, leave home, or cook) and optimise settings to match, reducing waste without manual input.
- Predictive heating/cooling – Systems use weather forecasts and past usage data to pre-heat or pre-cool rooms more efficiently.
- Anomaly detection – ML can spot unusual consumption patterns—like a faulty appliance—and notify you before it results in wasted energy or cost.
- Custom comfort profiles – Over time, the system learns preferred temperatures or lighting levels for different times or zones in your home.
- Automated adjustments – The system may learn that you always turn lights off at 10pm, and begin doing it automatically.
The result? A personalised, hands-off approach to energy savings that grows smarter over time.
Smart Communities: Scaling IoT Beyond the Home
IoT’s potential extends well beyond individual homes—especially when applied at the scale of buildings or entire neighbourhoods. Smart communities are being trialled in cities across the UK, blending energy efficiency with quality-of-life improvements.
Examples of community-level IoT applications:
- District heating management – Shared heating systems can be IoT-controlled for maximum efficiency across multiple flats or buildings.
- Shared EV charging points – Intelligent scheduling systems avoid peak loads and fairly allocate access across residents.
- Sensor-based street lighting – Public lighting adjusts based on movement or ambient light, reducing municipal energy bills.
- Smart waste and recycling – Sensors in communal bins alert services when full, improving collection efficiency.
- Environmental monitoring – Air quality, noise, and temperature can be tracked and reported across communities to inform better local planning.
Smart communities foster collective energy awareness and social responsibility, creating healthier, lower-impact urban environments.
If you would like to know more about Mill devices, go to their website:
Their wide range of devices in Mill’s offer. Smart oil and convection heaters as well as sockets so you will be able to select something most fitting for your needs. Additionally, Mill offers efficient air purifiers. Mill devices use smart algorithms and provide insights into energy usage using AWS Cloud Solutions. If you need more information do not hesitate to contact us at WizzDev:
