Octopus Energy unveils new smart heating system
Octopus Energy has launched a new smart heating system with CEO Greg Jackson vowing: “This paves the way to heat pumps for everyone.”
Jackson launched the Cosy Octopus heating system at the WIRED & Octopus Energy Tech Summit in London. It will be available from December.
It consists of the ‘Cosy 6’, Octopus’ new heat pump; ‘Cosy Hub’, a home controls system; ‘Cosy Pods’, room sensors; a bespoke smart tariff; and the award-winning Octopus 5-star service.
‘Cosy Octopus’ is free for homes that don’t need any work to fit the system after the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). Homes that need adjustments – such as new radiators, piping or a hot water tank – will get the system from around £3,000 after the grant.
The system will enter the market with a 6kW heat pump – aimed at a typical three-bed UK home – with more and larger models following over the next six months.
‘Cosy 6’ is Octopus Energy’s first heat pump built entirely in-house. It was designed by Dr Jason Cassells, CEO of Octopus-acquired Renewable Energy Devices (now known as Octopus Heating), and manufactured in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, and has six patent applications pending.
The home controls system ‘Cosy Hub’ and ‘Cosy Pods’ were developed by a team in London led by electrical engineer Derya Robinson.
Powered by Octopus’ technology platform Kraken, the Cosy eco-system works to offer the best performance at the cheapest and greenest times, allowing customers to save money on heating bills without compromising on comfort.
Octopus entered the heat pump market in 2021 with the launch of Britain’s first R&D centre for heat pumps in Slough. Since then the company has invested over £50 million to drive the rollout of heat pumps and help decarbonise the UK.
The heating of buildings accounts for over 17% of carbon emissions in the UK. The country is targeting 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028 as part of wider efforts to reduce these emissions and reach net zero.
Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy Group, commented: “This is a huge day for clean heating. The combination of a high-temperature heat pump (as hot as a gas boiler), Octopus smart tariffs and room sensors across your home doesn’t just open up cheaper clean heating – but more comfort too.”
The Energy Tech Summit was hosted in partnership with WIRED. Speakers at the event included Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Peake, the first British astronaut to do a space walk and business leader Deborah Meaden.
Image courtesy of Octopus Energy.