Following an IoT working trial with home safety tech company Aico, Stirling Council has confirmed a wider rollout to tenant’s home of environmental sensors.

Collected data will include temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas levels, along with smoke detection sensors, in a bid to improve the health, safety and well-being of residents.

Tenants will be able to take actionable measures from insights via a free mobile app and analytics portal.

Stirling Council says this is the first full roll-out of a multi-technology and connected home solution across an entire housing portfolio stock.

It also marks the largest UK social housing sector roll-out, with 50,000 IoT devices being installed over the next 8-10 years in homes managed by Stirling Council Housing Service.

Environmental sensors will alert the council in real-time and provide early warnings of damp, mould, ventilation and any other issues. The technology will also advise tenants on energy consumption levels in their homes.

In a time of fuel poverty, connected devices more often seen in private dwellings are emerging as a powerful tool in ensuring social homes are healthy to live in and used in an energy-efficient manner.

Homes will also see a fire safety upgrade, being equipped with connected smoke, heat and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.

The hope is that having the ability to identify the least thermally efficient homes means, Stirling Council can make intelligence-led decisions to target capital investment programmes at those properties.

The Fuel Poverty Act (Scotland), also seeks to protect residents of all households but particularly those in rural, highland and island communities from facing fuel poverty – Stirling Council has around 20% of its housing portfolio in rural areas.

Initially, the pilot was part of a Scottish Government funded programme, CivTech, which aimed to drive innovation in collaborative and cost-effective technology across the public sector.

Aico (HomeLINK) states that across the UK, more than 150,000 IoT devices are connected in tenants’ homes and in use by social landlords.

Based on current demand, this number is expected to hit 1 million devices by the end of 2024, bringing about a paradigm shift in landlords’ efforts to comply both with regulations but also in offering tenants a better understanding of their home’s environment.

Tenant Robert Cairney said: “I was initially sceptical about what the sensors and technology being put into my home would bring in terms of financial or health benefits. However, by recording moisture in the air, I can be alerted to the risk of damp and mould.

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“Rather than having to keep an eye out for these things myself, my landlord also better knows when it is time to come and do repairs or maintenance work on the property.

“This new IoT technology for homes like mine is fantastic because it helps me to feel safer, live in a healthier environment, and reduce costs. I’m more aware of how my home is behaving, and alerted to ways I can save money by using this free cutting-edge connected home kit.

“For example, wasting money trying to heat a home that has gaps in the doors and windows letting heat out, or an inefficient boiler and room heaters that need bleeding. Everyone is concerned about the rising costs of energy but, thanks to these improvements, it’s not a question of eat or heat for me now.”

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