Northern Powergrid’s Electricity Innovation Trial App FAQs
As a Community DSO trial participant, you can choose to use a smart phone app, which has been built for the trial by the Portuguese company Cleanwatts to monitor your electricity use and respond to electricity saving events.​
What does the Condor (squares icon at the screen bottom left) part of the app do?
Condor self-flex informs you about your electricity use, shifting energy use and the financial rewards that you earn. Based on forecasted weather conditions, your normal electricity consumption and the demand on the electricity network, events are scheduled at times when shifting electricity consumption will help to balance the demand on the electricity network. If you successfully shift your electricity consumption during an event, you can earn financial rewards. Shifting electricity consumption is always voluntary. Your lights, heating and electrical essentials appliances stay on. During an event, we would appreciate your help by shifting larger loads, such as washing machines, tumble dryers, or EV charging, to a different time. We will let you know beforehand so that you can plan.
How do I know how much electricity appliances use?
The power rating for electrical appliances is measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). A kilowatt is 1000 watts. If a 1 kW appliance (like a fan heater) runs for 1 hour it will use 1 kWh (kilowatt hour) of electricity. Units of electricity are measured in kWh and counted through your electricity meters. Electricity consumption varies depending on your appliance. Electricity consumption varies depending on your appliance. The following is a guide. •Air Fryer (1.5kW): ~0.75 kWh/30 mins •Oven (2.5kW): ~2.5 kWh/hour •Microwave (0.8kW): ~0.08 kWh/15 mins •Kettle (3kW): ~0.12 kWh/2.5 mins for 1 litre •Electric hob Induction (1.2 – 3.7kW per zone): ~135W to boil 1 litre water, which takes 3-4 minutes Ceramic (1 – 2.5kW per zone): ~180W, to boil 1 litre water, which takes 7-8 minutes Solid plate (1-2 kW per plates): ~260 W to boil 1 litre water, which takes 7-8 minutes •Dishwasher (1.8kW): ~1.8 kWh/ 1 hour •Tumble Dryer (3kW): ~3 kWh/ 1 hour depends on load size •Washing machine (2kW): ~0.12 kWh/2.5 mins for 1 litre Cold Wash (30°C): about 0.5–1.0 kWh per cycle for a standard load. Warm Wash (40°C–60°C): about 0.7–1.5 kWh, heating water uses electricity. Hot Wash (90°C): up to 2 kWh per cycle. Eco Wash: Uses less energy but takes longer, 0.5–0.7 kWh.
What does the Community (row of houses icon at the bottom right) part of the app do?
This will be activated later in the year. Community Energy Sharing (CES) is modelled on the Renewable Energy Communities (REC) concept use in Portugal. Residents are encouraged to consume electricity generated within the community through a lower tariff for energy consumed during times of excess generation within the community. While this is not feasible under current British regulations, the Community DSO trial will simulate the value, that comes from using the excess electricity generated locally, for example from the Whitley Bay Big Local Hub, which means that some electricity costs can be avoided.
How do I get started?
When the installation of the Kuib smart hu is successfully installed in your property, we will send you an email with your “REC” code and how to download the app on your mobile device from:
Condor Energy Communities – Apps no Google Play
Condor Energy Communities App - App Store
Once you have downloaded and installed the app, click on the icon to open the app and follow these steps:
Once you have opened the app select New User.
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Enter Email, Password and Confirm Password.
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Press Continue.
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You will receive an email with a verification code (check your spam).
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Enter the verification code and press continue.
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Enter your name and surname and the REC Community Code, which was in the first email that we sent you.
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Press submit.
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Your account is now set up.
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Click on the robot icon at the top left to see your profile and log out.
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If you have any problems creating an account, please contact the Community DSO trial team.
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​Next time you log in, you only need to enter your email and password.
Now you can explore your self-flex data.
How do I know how much electricity I am using?
Below "Meter", the start time of the next event is displayer. In the circle the power the Power in use is displayed, if you click on the circle, this is shown as a graph.
How do I know how much electricity I have been using during previous days?
Below "Power in use" on the right is a graph icon. Click on this to view historical electricity use.
How is a self-flex event displayed in the app?
A red bar is displayed at the top of the screen during the winter period in which a turn-down self-flex events take place. and turns green in a summer turn-up self-flex event takes place.
How is the electricity use displayed?
A graph for each day shows the real time electricity consumption for each day. You can view the data for each hour by sliding the image to the left or the right and for previous days by clicking on the arrow to the left of the date.
Click outside the graph to return to the previous view.​
Is the self-flex event displayed on the Kiub hub at the same time as on the app?
Yes, during idle periods there is no light on the Kiub hub. Just before the self-flex event the circle in the centre turns yellow, the during a self-flex event the circle turns red.
Is there advance notice of a self-flex event in the app?
In the app the circle round power in use turns yellow before a self-flex event. The start time of the event is shown.
How do you know when a self-flex event is taking place?
In the app the circle round power in use turns red during a self-flex event.
What are shields?
Login every day to earn shields. If you login daily for 7 days, you will earn a shield. A shield can be used to improve self-flex event success.
How do I know what rewards I can earn?
Under Rewards you can see how much of the total months rewards you have earned so far by shifting your electrify consumption during an event.
Click “Show details” to see on which days you shifted (green) electricity consumption during an event and on which days you did not shift (red) electricity consumption during an event. Days with no colour did not have events or are in the future.
Shifting electricity consumption is always voluntary. Your lights, heating and electrical essentials appliances stay on. During an event, we would appreciate your help by shifting larger loads, such as washing machines, tumble dryers, or EV charging, to a different time.
How do I know what rewards I have earned?
The Wallet below rewards, displays rewards that you have received. Click on Show details to see rewards for a specific period.
Where do I find the app settings?
Click in the robot icon at the top left to find the logout button, your profile, help settings etc.
Can I view and edit my name and email?
Click on the robot icon at the top right, then on user to view and edit user information.
Click on Settings to view and change your password. Find FAQs etc
Where can I find Community energy sharing information?
Click in the Community icon at the bottom right to display the community energy sharing information. To return to the community flexibility function click om the “squares” icon ta the bottom left.
This will be activated later in the year.
Community Energy Sharing (CES) is modelled on the Renewable Energy Communities (REC) concept use in Portugal. Residents are encouraged to consume electricity generated within the community through a lower tariff for energy consumed during times of excess generation within the community. While this is not feasible under current British regulations, the Community DSO trial will simulate the value, that comes from using the excess electricity generated locally, for example from the Whitley Bay Big Local Hub, which means that some electricity costs can be avoided.
If you have any additional questions, please send an email to energy-community@whitleybaybiglocal.org. we aim to reply with 72 hours.
Or visit out Energy Cafe on the 2nd Saturday each month from 10am to 1pm in the Whitley Bay Big Local Hub
or attend one of our Community DSO workshops, which will be advertised on our Facebook page,