The state of housing and the due diligence taken to ensure the health of properties in the United Kingdom is an issue that has increasingly been called into question. A renewed approach to keeping properties and residents safe is gaining prominence.

BT’s Remote Building Monitoring aims to create a more insightful, technology-based method for keeping residents safe. IoT technology is transforming the way we manage properties, and consequently improving the quality and safety of the lives of those living in them. It enables property managers to monitor social housing as well as a range of property types, measuring temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels using sensors to give insights into the property’s health.

With these insights, the technology can detect trends to determine the severity of different issues, such as mould growth due to increased levels of moisture, or occupancy. 

Different IoT devices are available to monitor energy consumption and compliance with regulations, and other uses such as monitoring legionella and fire doors. It is a potent example of one of the many IoT solutions that is informing better decision making, and consequently, how we live our lives.

What sets BT’s solution apart from other providers of remote housing monitoring is its unified, end-to-end solution. Unlike other providers, BT manages a one-stop platform for the devices’ data. Crucially, it is hardware-agnostic, providing flexibility to meet changing market needs. This centralised platform eliminates the need to gain connectivity from other entities, providing a more efficient and effective solution for property managers.

Our monitoring platform is changing the future of housing, enabling property managers to maintain healthier living environments and make life easier financially for themselves and their tenants. Property managers can now gain unprecedented insights into their properties, enabling them to make informed decisions that improve the quality of housing for residents.

The platform offers numerous benefits, including alerting housing managers to important changes such as humidity levels. Crucially, this regular data collection also allows them to notify tenants of these changes, preventing problems down the line. Because of this, the technology reduces the need for in-person visits, saving time and costs.

At a time of surging energy bills, it is also helping tackle fuel poverty by alerting housing managers to any problems such as changing patterns in temperature increases and decreases. The platform can relay outdoor temperatures against those indoors, and if those temperatures are considered dangerous, housing managers can then take action. All the heavy lifting is done by the platform – freeing up the housing managers to perform their duties without unnecessary investigation. 

What’s more, Remote Building Monitoring technology can help reduce maintenance costs. By providing data reports on levels of dampness, mould, or condensation, inspections can be carried out that may lead to the discovery of other issues such as faulty guttering or broken windows. Catching these problems early on can save both housing managers and residents money down the line.

With BT IoT Remote Building Monitoring, property owners can make informed decisions that both benefit the tenants and maintain the value of the properties themselves.

The term ‘smart cities’ has become a term inextricably associated with IoT technology. The notion that we can make cities more sustainable, efficient, and safer through digital solutions that harvest vast quantities of data is a pursuit that most can get behind – and it might not be as unattainable as some might think. Accordingly, Remote Building Monitoring plays a large contributing role in actualising these long-term goals of IoT technology.

If this technology is harnessed properly, it could bring a range of wider benefits that help create smarter and more sustainable living premises. As we know, the real-time data gathered by the sensors can negate the need for callouts to the property – lowering emissions caused by unnecessary travel.

The monitoring of temperature fluctuations and resultant changes in fuel consumption can also lead to more efficient fuel use on a grand scale. Equally, solar panel tracking and the insights this provides can help managers decide where their panels are best placed and receive the most sunlight.

These same metrics can help housing managers determine the safety of a property, and whether the air quality is at a sufficient standard. Through constant assessment of moisture, the technology can notify the user of problems before they worsen, and ultimately prevent any negative impact on a resident’s health. 

As communities continue to grow and become more digitally conscious, it’s essential to find new ways of managing properties and ensuring the well-being of residents – improving upon designs of the past. Remote Building Monitoring is one of the many valuable emerging tools in BT’s IoT portfolio that offers a secure way of harvesting data, without storing any personal information and constitutes the next step towards smarter communities.