Hafod believes that a good home and a strong community are crucial to wellbeing. That’s why engaging with customers is key to help people live in healthier, more comfortable and more energy-efficient homes.
As part of wider decarbonisation work, Hafod recently partnered with Aico to engage customers in trialling a new version of the HomeLINK Resident App by Aico.
The trial gave Hafod customers the opportunity to explore how digital technology can help them better understand the conditions within their homes and make simple changes to support a healthier living environment.
The app provides residents with greater visibility of important environmental conditions in their homes, including temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels, and gives helpful tips for keeping conditions healthy. It also lets residents monitor their energy usage.
This information can help people understand what is happening in their home, identify conditions that could contribute to damp and condensation, and make informed choices about ventilation, heating and energy use.
The new version of the app has been designed to be more user-friendly, with clearer information and guidance, including indicators to help residents understand what ideal conditions in the home can look like.
For new user Anne, a Hafod customer, the updated app was easy to adopt, she shares:
“It’s great to be able to keep an eye on things in the home. I want to know I’m doing the right things in my home, that I’m doing my bit to look after my property well.
“When I’m away from home in the colder months, it gives me peace of mind that the temperature in my home is set well.
“The app is easy to use, and these are skills that will help me in the future as things become more digital. I don’t want to be left behind.”
The trial demonstrated how technology can give residents a greater understanding of their home and empower them to take an active role in maintaining healthy living conditions.
This kind of engagement is an important part of Hafod’s approach to decarbonisation. Supporting customers to understand their homes can help people make practical changes that improve comfort and manage energy use.
Justine Williams, Decarbonisation Engagement Officer at Hafod, said:
“Hafod’s decarbonisation work is about more than reducing energy use and carbon emissions. It is also about supporting residents to live in homes that are healthy, comfortable and affordable to run.
“By supporting Aico to involve customers in their app development and testing, we can identify what works, what could be improved and how digital tools can be made accessible to a wider range of residents.
“It was great to engage with customers as they explored the updated app and shared their experiences and feedback. It also means that residents aren’t simply being asked to adopt new technology, they have a voice in shaping how that technology works for them.”
Oliver-Ryan George, Product Manager at Aico, said:
“It was important to us at Aico that this app was built with residents at the centre of the process. By being really engaged with the beta trial of the app, Hafod and their residents helped us shape the app into one which empowers residents to control their home’s environment and energy usage.”
Thank you to the Hafod customers who took part in the trial and shared their feedback.
More information about the new HomeLINK Resident App by Aico can be found here.