Telus launches smart energy app to serve home market

Telus Corp. is launching a new app which helps homeowners track their energy usage, the western telecom announced Wednesday. The SmartHome+ app is being rolled out across English Canada with Quebec to follow when language and technology issues are ironed out. Afterwards the company hopes to sell the product globally. Dwayne Benefield, chief product officer at the firm, told The Wire Report that there is a supply and demand imbalance in the Canadian energy market. On the electricity side, greater demands for power for crypto mining and powering up electric vehicles are causing a strain. That is only going to get worse if not addressed soon, he maintained. “The Canadian grid would need to double its infrastructure over the next 30 years just to meet the demand,” he reported. “And that cost of upgrading the grid is estimated to cost $1.4 trillion to meet what is the current projected demand.” Dwayne Benefield, chief product officer at Telus (Photo courtesy of Telus). SmartEnergy can automate home temperature settings, power down unused devices and create personalized routines. Telus estimates that consumers can save up to 15 per cent on their various energy bills. An artificial intelligence voice feature is expected to be deployed shortly. A similar app dealing with home security cameras is also to be released the same day. Benefield said initial subscribers will pay $12 per month for the service. In addition, as an introductory offer, new customers can purchase a smart thermostat and two smart plugs for $25, about one-tenth of the usual cost. The telecom has also pledged to plant four trees each year per SmartEnergy customer. Eventually, the plan is to connect EV chargers and home solar to the app as well. Benefield has always worked in the technology sector. He began his career at the Walt Disney Company, working on rolling out content. After spending 10 years there, he switched to Alphabet Inc.’s Google platform for a year. He spent another decade at Sony Corp. working on its Playstation app. He worked for American telecom T-Mobile for a year and a half before heading north to Vancouver to take up his current role with Telus. He has been there for more than three years. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca

Telus launches smart energy app to serve home market

Telecom |
By Paul Park
| September 18, 2024

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Telus launches smart energy app to serve home market

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| September 18, 2024