One of the biggest overhead costs for any housing provider is repair. According to Capita’s Head of Housing Procurement, Helen Rogers, “repairs represent 80% of housing providers’ overhead costs.” One of the key factors that drives up repair costs is emergency maintenance and the need to call workers after a problem has already occurred.
The additional cost of an emergency callout is roughly 3-9 times more expensive than planned maintenance, according to mechanical and electrical installation experts Solved.
Housing agencies could therefore vastly reduce their annual costs by investing in a solution which predicts when necessities, such as boilers, are due to break and callout staff to repair them ahead of time. This would also increase lead times on repairs, allowing for more efficient planning and reducing the amount of time crews are called to houses where residents are not present, resulting in a follow-up callout.
The Solution:
Internet of Things (IoT) enabled smart devices are the perfect solution. An IoT device being a machine that would not ordinarily send or receive data.
The prime example would be a boiler. Instead of waiting for it to break or relying on a routine timed maintenance plan, IoT would allow the boiler to automatically report any fluctuations in temperature, pressure or effectiveness. This would indicate it is in need of repair ahead of a potential breakdown and allow Housing Agencies to call in maintenance staff ahead of time.
Connecting IoT:
Daisy Anywhere’s unsteered SIM card would provide a constant connection to the best mobile network in the area, meaning that it would be the perfect partner for IoT solutions like these. A batch of SIMs can also be used across the country meaning that your estate can have constant connection on the same deal.
For example, if a Housing Agency purchased 50 SIMs with 100MB of data each to connect their boilers, these SIMs would connect to the strongest network for their area. They could also create a data pool, meaning that instead of each SIM card only having 100MB of data they would draw from a book of 5GB. That would reduce wasted data, provide connectivity anywhere across the country and put it all into one simple, flexible and manageable bill.
Daisy Anywhere and IoT would reduce costs, allow for more efficient running of properties and combat the largest financial issue facing Housing Agencies today.
If you would like to talk to us about Daisy Anywhere and Daisy IoT are interested in learning more, you can do so by contacting Ed Povall at: ed.povall@daisycomms.co.uk
