BASILDON Council - in partnership with Morgan Sindall Property Services - has become the first local authority in the country to install goldeni, a new energy saving software platform.

The goldeni technology uses interconnected sensors to provide social housing landlords and tenants with real-time, actionable insights to help them ensure their properties are legally compliant and more energy efficient. It will play a crucial role in the council's aim to make all its operations carbon net-zero by 2030, with a wider target of 2050 for the borough.

The goldeni platform has been developed by data scientists working for Morgan Sindall Property Services, which is the council's property maintenance contractor.

The platform collects data on the internal environmental conditions, including temperature, air pressure, light levels, humidity and carbon dioxide. goldeni also detects for water leaks and monitors electricity and gas consumption and using intelligent boiler technology, provides tenants with more efficient boiler operations for heating and hot water in their homes. For example, goldeni monitors ventilation and will recommend opening more windows to ensure homes are less susceptible to mould, can identify water leaks in real-time, and spots when a boiler needs to be serviced so that preventative action can be taken before a problem escalates.

Leader of Basildon Council Councillor Andrew Baggott said: "We have an ambitious climate change strategy and action plan to reach our goal of becoming a carbon net-zero authority by 2030 with a wider target of 2050. Using innovative solutions such as goldeni is a fantastic way to help us improve the efficiency of our council homes so that we can realise those ambitions."

Chairman of the Housing and Estate Renewal Committee Councillor Andrew Schrader said: "Not only is this going to benefit the environment by lowering the carbon output of our homes but it will directly benefit our tenants who will have reduced energy bills. I welcome the use of this technology in more of our homes. It will certainly aid in helping our tenants make small changes around the home for a big impact on the environment and their pockets."

Phil Copperwheat, Information Systems Director of Morgan Sindall Property Services, added:

"We are delighted to be partnering with Basildon Council to help those living in social housing to have healthier, safer, more energy efficient homes.

"The roll out of goldeni will also allow us to take a more proactive and preventative approach to reducing repair demand, by flagging potential issues in real-time and helping us spot potential indicators of vulnerability such as fuel poverty. This is an essential and crucial step for Basildon Council in its commitment to both safe and environmentally sound social housing."