Mobile phone use driving changes to energy consumption

Australian mobile phone ownership is changing the way consumers are using their energy, according to a recent survey.

The Deloitte Mobile Consumer Survey 2016 has revealed a significant jump in mobile phone ownership in Australia to 84 per cent, up five per cent from last year, and well ahead of the global average of 81 per cent.

Australians are collectively interacting with their smartphones 480 million times a day – a 40 million (9%) increase over last year’s survey, changing the way consumers monitor and use energy in their home.

According to Deloitte National Energy and Resources Leader Michael Rath, the connectivity of the consumer will continue to rise.

“Consumer demands are continuing to spearhead the way in which utilities such as power, gas and water are consumed within the connected home,” he said.

The report directly brings to life a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) and the extent to which the home environment will continue to change in response to new technologies in the home and improved understanding of consumption through interactive devices and in-home applications.

Mr Rath said the enablement of mobility, telecommunications and smartphones “paint a powerful picture of what might be possible in a fully connected home environment”.

“Fixed assets such as power, water and gas are being disrupted more than ever, as consumer expectations and demands drive changes to the way people interact with technology in their home,” he said.

“The smartphone is becoming the key device in the hands of the consumer, able to control a range of functions the utilities provide.

“The increasing ability to respond to more distributed grid technologies such as micro-grids, micro-generation, and non-traditional energy sources such as renewable energy in the form of solar, wind and emerging technologies will be enabled through the connectivity enabled by mobile technology.

“Beyond the energy impact around the connected home, we’re also seeing a broad digital disruption in the power and utilities sector, as new technologies shape the way in which energy and resources are sourced, distributed and acquired.”

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