Service will help businesses calculate carbon footprint of their homeworkers

The two companies behind the new carbon tracker service, energy management service AlertMe and energy meter AMEE, claim it will be a significant boost to companies which, until now, have had no choice but to manually gather data and compile reports on homeworkers’ energy usage – an approach which is both time consuming and prone to error. 

It is estimated some five million people now work from home, representing a significant carbon footprint.

Homeworkers using the new service will set up an AlertMe Energy Kit to monitor and report on their home energy usage. 

This information will be sent to AMEE to calculate the equivalent carbon footprint, which will then be fed back to the company in a format that combines with the rest of the company’s carbon footprint information. 

Carbon data can be viewed live, on a home-by-home basis or collectively, and can be stored and reported in any format to meet standard reporting frameworks, such as the Carbon Disclosure Project and CRC (formerly known as the Carbon Reduction Commitment).

“With the growing popularity of home-working, the ability to monitor and report on homeworkers' carbon footprint is crucial,” said Pilgrim Beart, founder and ceo, AlertMe.

“The carbon tracker will allow companies to fully understand their organisational carbon footprint, be transparent in their sustainability and auditing programmes and will provide invaluable information on the impact of homeworking on the environment.”

Homeworkers will also be able to monitor their own energy usage by accessing the AlertMe ‘dashboard’ through any internet connection.

The intention is that they will use this information to manage their energy consumption, reduce their carbon footprint and save on electricity bills.  The consumption of individual appliances in the home, such as computers for work use, can also be tracked with the addition of ‘SmartPlugs’.

“Homeworking, particularly technology-enabled, is going through a new wave of growth,” said Gavin Starks, founder and ceo of AMEE.

“We're pleased to be helping businesses understand the impact on the environment, as they continue to seek ways to identify sustainability best practices," he said.