Why your smart meter might be the most powerful climate tool in your home
In episode 43 of The Decarbonisation Dialogue, we talk to Hilary Wood who has built a career in measurement and verification - a discipline focused on proving whether energy-saving initiatives actually deliver the results they promise
When it comes to cutting energy bills and carbon emissions, the most effective tool in your house may already be sitting quietly in the background: your data. According to engineer and measurement expert Hilary Wood, understanding how and when your home uses energy is the first step toward making meaningful savings - and many households are missing that opportunity.
Speaking on episode 43 of The Decarbonisation Dialogue podcast, Hilary’s advice is simple but often overlooked: start by looking at your smart meter data.
Hilary says: “So many of us now have got smart meters, but we’re not really using the data they give us.”
That data can reveal patterns that aren’t obvious day-to-day. Households may discover unexpectedly high overnight energy use, spikes when heating systems kick in unnecessarily, or simply that their consumption is higher than similar homes.
In our podcast she tells us: “You might find that there’s something quite interesting hiding in there, but you can only tell if you actually look.”
The insight matters because even small behavioural changes - adjusting heating schedules, switching off devices, or refining how systems are used - can translate into measurable savings.
In trials Hilary has worked on, even brand-new homes with similar designs showed dramatically different energy consumption levels. The difference, she says, came down largely to human behaviour.
“Once you’ve spotted something unusual, then you can start to change it.”
So many of us now have got smart meters, but we’re not really using the data they give us.
You might find that there’s something quite interesting hiding in there, but you can only tell if you actually look.
From curiosity to career
Hilary’s focus on data is rooted in a lifelong curiosity about how things work. As a child, she would take apart household items to understand their inner workings, much to the relief of her family, her father was an electrical engineer who could put them back together.
That early fascination evolved into a career in engineering, with roles spanning geothermal power and solid oxide fuel cells, both key technologies in sustainable energy generation. Her path eventually shifted toward energy efficiency and, crucially, measurement.
A formative influence came from childhood visits to the Centre for Alternative Technology in mid Wales, near Aberystwyth, where her grandparents lived. Long before sustainability became mainstream, the site showcased renewable energy and low-impact living.
She says: “It planted the seed that I wanted to be part of the solution.”
Proving what works and what doesn’t
Today, Hilary is a director at EEVS, where she specialises in measurement and verification (M&V) - a discipline focused on proving whether energy-saving initiatives actually deliver the results they promise.
In simple terms, M&V compares energy use before and after a change. But in practice, it’s more complex. The “saving” being measured is something that doesn’t physically exist, it’s the energy that would have been used if nothing had changed.
That means analysts must account for variables like weather, occupancy, and operational changes.
Hilary explains: “It’s not quite as simple as a direct comparison. There’s nuance, and sometimes assumptions have to be made.”
This is where independent verification becomes critical. Without it, organisations risk investing in projects that don’t deliver, or failing to recognise ones that do.
“We want to know what genuinely cuts carbon. Otherwise, we risk spending time and money on things that don’t really work.”
Building trust in decarbonisation
Hilary’s journey into the field began around 2008, when she encountered a company offering energy-saving technology with a performance guarantee, an unusual level of confidence at the time. Looking for a robust way to validate those claims, she discovered the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP), a framework that has since become global best practice.
“It was immediately clear that this is how it should be done,” she says.
In 2011, she co-founded EEVS to provide independent verification services, helping to build trust in the growing energy efficiency sector. Since then, she has contributed to major initiatives, including developing technical standards for the Scottish Government and supporting electricity demand reduction pilots. At Salix, we have also worked with EEVS to support our work with the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
When data drives decisions
The impact of good measurement can be transformative. In some cases, organisations pilot new technologies in a handful of buildings, verify the results, and then scale successful solutions across entire estates - sometimes hundreds of sites.
She adds: “That’s a win for everyone. You’ve got the supplier who can prove their solution, and the end user who can scale it with confidence.”
Equally important, though less celebrated, are cases where projects don’t perform as expected. With robust data, those situations become opportunities rather than failures.
“It’s not about pointing fingers. It’s about understanding why and then fixing it.”
The next challenge: smarter systems
As the UK shifts from gas to electric heating, including heat pumps, the role of data is only becoming more important. These systems can be highly efficient but only if they are properly controlled and operated.
Measurement and verification is increasingly being used not just to prove savings, but to optimise performance in real time. By analysing how systems behave, engineers can fine-tune settings and improve outcomes.
“It’s not just identifying what works. It’s understanding what you have to do to make it work well.”
Back to the basics at home
For households, the message is clear: start small but start with data.
Log into your energy account. Look at your usage patterns. Compare them over time or with similar homes if possible. Identify anything unusual and experiment with changes.
In a world of complex energy challenges, that simple step could be one of the most powerful actions available.
“People might be surprised,” Hilary says. “But that’s exactly the point.”
The Decarbonisation Dialogue
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