In South Africa, there are an estimated 5.3 million people aged 60 or older, representing just over 9.2% of the overall South African population. These figures offer a sizeable estimate from Stats SA, and indicate that population ageing is taking place in our country, increasing steadily over the last 5 years. The increase in the
Differences between cultures, social rules and norms exist in all societies and across all communities. For the most part, these unspoken social rules keep societies well-oiled and functioning smoothly – having an implicit understanding of what is required from one another, even if arbitrary and annoying at times, makes life just a little easier. We
It has been reported that South African households tripled their spending on solar imports in 2023, with all the investment made by everyday South Africans at the grass-roots level starting to pay off – both at the household level and the national level. For households, investing in solar leads to a more reliable supply of
While no one expected the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to shoot any lights out, we did expect some electrifying election season promises by President Ramaphosa in his annual address. And we got a big one, as the President proclaimed that “the end of load shedding is finally within reach,” stating that the actions
Eskom recently initiated a pilot program in Fourways to remotely manage household electricity consumption through smart meters, with plans to expand the initiative nationwide. The move was discussed during Eskom’s recent State of the System briefing, where strategies to reduce load-shedding were outlined. Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa took this opportunity to make it clear that
In a country where the supply and generation of electricity is regularly disrupted by load shedding, even minor adjustments in our homes and businesses can help yield significant outcomes. Sensor Networks, as a locally-based pioneer in innovative solutions, hopes to help drive these minor adjustments at scale and committed itself to delivering a tangible impact
The recent 18% electricity tariff hike by Eskom may have you scrutinising your monthly expenses. As a nation, we are facing increased energy costs, and heating water – a significant portion of our household energy bills – takes on even more weight. Yet, your Smart Geyser stands ready as a trusted companion in this journey.
Home insurance has taken a technological leap forward with the launch of a new zero-excess smart-geyser policy for homeowner’s insurance cover (HOC) and MyCover Personal Lines policyholders who have installed a Nedbank smart geyser device. With this policy, policyholders will pay no excess fees associated with claims for water damage caused by burst or leaking
Various sources, including Eskom and Kwikot, have long argued the value of managing one’s geyser set-point temperature and turning it off when not in use. Some suggest a schedule can make a difference, while others argue this has no effect. Either way, none provide practical, controlled, real-world experiments to prove this one way or another.
Proving the business case of the Internet of Things remains a challenge, both for start-ups looking to build, and for large companies looking to adopt new technologies into their existing suite of legacy products. A 2017 report by Cisco Systems surveying more than 1 800 IT and business decision makers found that almost two thirds of
South Africa is one of the few countries in the world where homeowners seem content to heat large volumes of water in a pressurised metal drum situated somewhere between their roofs and their ceilings. Generally, elsewhere in the world, hot-water cylinders, or geysers – as they are known locally – are situated in cupboards or
South Africa is currently experiencing an internet-connectivity boom, and, as of 2017, more than half the country’s population has access to the internet. As this ratio increases each year, the knock-on effect of us becoming more connected is that we look to connect more. Indeed, smart homes might not be commonplace in South Africa just yet,
Home insurance took a giant leap forward this month when Standard Bank’s insurance arm, Standard Insurance Limited (SIL), partnered with incident-management company, Digicall Group, and Connected Home platform developer, Sensor Networks. The trio have developed a connected-geyser ecosystem aimed at homeowners that monitors a standard household hot-water cylinder and kicks off a fully digitised procedure
One of South Africa’s leading insurance-focussed Internet of Things platforms, Sensor Networks, has added Alarm Connect to its suite of connected home IoT products, allowing homeowners to remotely manage their home alarms and WiFi-enabled security cameras. Alarm Connect, is a home-security monitoring system that can be easily installed alongside most standard alarm panels, providing remote control
Introduction In order to estimate Sensor Networks customer energy savings, we need to calculate the expected energy usage were devices not installed, and compare this to the actual, recorded energy usage (Note that these numbers rely on various assumptions, and represent a rough estimate). Expected Usage The Eskom average geyser usage is between 13 and
You’re sitting at your office desk on a Friday afternoon, mentally checking through a list of things you need to do before you head out of town for the weekend. Your mobile phone buzzes – it’s an app notification.
Burst geysers, consequential damage and repairs are the most common geyser-related claims in homeowners’ insurance policies. These are significant given that geysers amount to approximately 50% of home insurance premiums. Sensor Networks’ Internet of Things (IoT) platform mitigates this risk by detecting when a geyser has burst and automatically stopping water flow. This eliminates the
Blown elements are the most frequent homeowner’s insurance claim. Burst geysers and consequential water damage are a pain point for homeowners and insurance providers alike, resulting in millions of rands in claims for providers, and increased premiums for policy holders. Sensor Networks’ IoT platform has enabled insurers to significantly reduce this risk through bespoke sensors
Insurance providers in South Africa are embracing the benefits of integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) into existing insurance models and systems. This follows Santam Specialist Real Estate’s recent partnership with Sensor Networks to provide smart-home insurance solutions to homeowners across the country. Kicking off in the Free State earlier this month, Santam Specialist Real
IoT data is the foundation of smart-home insurance through enabling insurers to optimally assess and manage certain risks in their policyholders’ homes, resulting in superior value propositions while providing value-added services. Sensor Networks’s bespoke sensors document and contextualise a policyholder’s daily behaviour with regards to water usage, electricity consumption, home frequency, shower patterns, sleep patterns,
When digital technology and creative thinking intersect, brands can collaborate to create memorable and relevant experiences in consumers’ lives. Through the collaborative efforts between Nedbank Insurance and Accenture Interactive, the award-winning geyser telematics solution (brought to you by Nedbank Insurance) received additional industry acclaim at the 2019 IAB Bookmark Awards, earning gold in both the
There are approximately seven million geysers (hot-water cylinders) of all shapes and sizes in homes across South Africa. With new homes being constructed all over the country, that figure also increases by about 15 000 new geysers per month.
Sensor Networks has been given an honourable mention in a recent article on South African startup news website, Ventureburn, titled: ‘My hot and happening SA startup picks for 2019’ by Matthew Buckland.
The festive season is fast approaching, and many of us will soon leave our properties unattended for long periods while we go on holiday. Sensor Networks will keep an eye on your geyser while you’re away
This report investigates whether installing a Sensor Networks Smart Geyser controller reduces the average user’s geyser energy consumption and the significance of those savings by assessing the existing usage patterns through sensor data. Further, the project seeks to unveil the user characteristics and behavioural patterns which best optimise consumption cost without hindering user convenience (e.g.
Start-up owners need to have the patience of a saint when dealing with corporates, says Sensor Networks founder Mark Allewell, who is currently juggling five Internet of Things (IoT) projects