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More about the program

Earn rewards for charging your EV or heating/cooling your home at the best times for the grid, with UI Smart Home. 

 

United Illuminating (UI) are partnering with Kraken Technologies to bring smart control of EVs and heat pumps to up to 300 UI customers, through the UI Smart Home program. 

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Participants will receive a sign up bonus of up to $150 once accepted to the program, and can earn monthly rewards, which will be credited to their UI Account at the end of the program.

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If you're eligible to sign up, we'll send you an email outlining the next steps. This will be sent to the email address you register with, which should be the same as your UI Account. To fully understand the program and requirements for participation, see the UI Smart Home terms & conditions.​

UI Smart Home

  • Take a look through some frequently asked questions below for the most common queries.

     

    If you still need help, you can contact the team at any time via email: hello@uinet-kraken.energy

  • Take a look through some frequently asked questions below for the most common queries. If you still need help, you can speak to an advisor for the UI Smart Home program.

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    Live support line: +1 855 758 9712

    Live support hours: Mon - Fri 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Program details

  • EV owners can join the program from 15 July 2024.

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    Heat pump owners can join the program from 29 August 2024. If you have both a compatible EV and heat pump, you can connect your EV in July, and heat pump in August.

  • No, you will remain on your existing tariff rate structure.

  • You can register for the program by completing the UI Smart Home registration form.

  • Participants will earn a sign up reward once they've been accepted onto the program, and have connected their smart device (EV and/or heat pump). This will be paid out on the participants UI invoice.

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    Those connecting one device type (either an EV or heat pump alone) will receive $100. Participants connecting both an EV and heat pump, will recieve $150.

  • Yes, you will be able to connect both EVs and Heat Pumps in the UI Smart Home app.

  • Customers will not be eligible if any of the following are true:

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    1. You are already participating in the existing Connecticut Electric Vehicle Charging Program.

    2. Your EV or heat pump isn't compatible.

    3. You do not have a compatible mobile device (Android version 8+, iOS version 16+).

  • Participants will receive the total value of rewards they've earned throughout the program. This will be applied to the UI Account, as a bill credit.

  • The program will end on August 31 2025.

  • We expect Participants to remain on the program, and actively participate for the full duration. If you leave the program before it finishes, you'll risk forfeiting the rewards you've earned.

  • You can disconnect your device in the Settings of the UI Smart Home app. If you'd like us to remove you from the program, you should email our customer support team on: uismarthomehelp@kraken.tech

  • UI are partnering with Kraken Technologies to deliver the UI Smart Home program. If you're interested to find out more about Kraken, you can find details here: About Kraken.

  • Each UI Smart Home customer will be emailed a referral code (e.g. blond-prawn-3042). Share this with a friend so that they can add this when signing up, and you'll each earn a $50 referral reward once you've both connected a device to the UI Smart Home app.

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    This will be added to your cumulative rewards, which you'll receive as a bill credit at the end of the program.

Electric Vehicles

  • This short video walks through the steps to follow, to successfully connect your EV to the UI Smart Home app.

     

    Important notes:

    1. We've shortened the amount of time it takes to complete the "device connection" and "test charge" steps - these can take several minutes.

    2. Completing the test charge is typically the longest step (up to 10 minutes), which is required for us to know that we can issue instructions to your device - you won't be able finish connecting your device until this is complete.

    • Tesla models: 3, S, X & Y

    • Audi models: e-tron, e-tron GT, e-tron S, e-tron Sportback, e-tron S Sportback, Q4 e-tron, Q4 Sportback e-tron, Q8 e-tron, Q8 Sportback e-tron, RS e-tron GT, SQ8 etron, SQ8 Sportback e-tron

    • Nissan Ariya

    • Volkswagen models: ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID. Buzz

  • Please choose "Other" from the drop-down list. You'll then be able to pick your charger maximum charge power in kW. This is sufficient for us to create smart charging plans for your EV.

  • No - UI Smart Home currently only supports one EV per customer. Please connect the EV you use most frequently.

     

    Mutliple EVs will be supported in the near future.

  • No. We suggest that you disable any other smart control apps, devices or schedules so that your EV is only be controlled via the UI Smart Home app during this program.​

     

    If you have smart control enabled through another app, this could send conflicting schedules to your EV, and risk it not being charged as you expect.

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    If you are a Tesla owner, your target % should sync between the UI Smart Home app and Tesla app, so in theory you could set this limit in either.

  • To be able to charge your Tesla, UI Smart Home needs access to the following data: vehicle location, charging commands to schedule, and start/stop charging. Tesla packages this information with a bunch of other data, which we don’t use. The only way for UI Smart Home to have access to the data we need is for you to tick the boxes for ‘Vehicle Information’, ‘Vehicle Charging Management’ and 'Vehicle Location' when connecting your device.

  • If you don’t check the ‘Vehicle Information’, ‘Vehicle Charging Management’ and 'Vehicle Location' boxes, the device connection will fail. If this happens, you need to go to Tesla.com, log in to your account, go to the Security tab and to Manage Third Parties, and remove United Illuminating from your allowed third parties. You’ll need to then go through the onboarding again.

  • If your Tesla is a pre-2021 Model S or X, you don’t need to do this and can click on ‘Virtual key added or not required’ instead.

     

    If you are having issues, it could be that you don’t have an associated car in your Tesla app - you’ll need to make sure that you are using the same login details in the Tesla app.

  • In order for UI Smart Home to communicate with your Tesla, the vehicle must have mobile app access enabled. Allow Mobile Access by heading to Controls > Safety > Allow Mobile Access, while seated in the vehicle.

     

    You'll also need to make sure that you only currently have one Tesla connected in your app. If you have more than one, your device will fail to authenticate.

  • The app will show you the reasons for a failed test charge, though here's what you need to do to prepare for a test charge:

    1. Make sure you have enough space in your car battery for a 7-minute charge.

    2. Deactivate charging schedules from your car, charger and other apps to avoid interference.

    3. Complete your test charge while you’re at home (we set ‘home’ to be your EV’s location at the time you connected your EV).

    4. Plug your car in before starting the test charge, but make sure it is not currently charging, by disabling this in your manufacturer's app, or on the car's infotainment interface.

    5. Try disconnecting and reconnecting your vehicle.

  • UI Smart Home connect to your EV via cloud control. We require you to authenticate your device during onboarding in the UI Smart Home app, which is how you grant access for UI Smart Home to choose when to charge your car. UI Smart Home then uses signals from the grid to determine the best times to charge your EV.

  • Customers will set their preferences in the UI Smart Home app. Specifically, you'll set a:

    1. Target charge (e.g. 80%)

    2. Ready by time (e.g. 8a.m.)​

     

    UI Smart Home will always put the customer preferences first, choosing when to smart charge your EV at the best times, in order to reach your preferences.

  • Yes - the UI Smart Home app shows live status updates about your EV.

  • You can boost charge your car at any time, by tapping the boost charge button in the UI Smart Home app.

     

    Note that if you boost charge too regularly in a month, you could forfeit your reward for that month.

  • After plugging in your EV, it will charge for a short period before the UI Smart Home smart charging schedule takes over. There are a few reasons why your car might continue to charge for longer after plugging it in:

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    1. The charging plan has started when you plug in, so all is according to plan! You can check the charging schedule in the app to check if this is supposed to happen.

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    2. Something else is causing the car to charge, such as a charging schedule in the car, or smart charging features on the charger. You should turn these off in order to guarantee smart charging by UI Smart Home.

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    3. UI Smart Home may not be stopping your charge because it believes your car isn’t at home. We currently identify ‘home’ as your car’s location when you signed up to UI Smart Home. If your car was not at home during your onboarding, then you will need to disconnect your car in the UI Smart Home app and go through the connection process again while your car is at home.

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    4. UI Smart Home checks in on your car at regular intervals to monitor your charging status. If the car is plugged in just after one of these checks, it could mean up to 30-minute delay in us stopping the charge.

  • Please check the following:

     

    1. The charge cable is properly connected to both car and charger - unplug at each end and try plugging in again.

     

    2. The car and charger used are the ones you’ve registered with UI Smart Home.

     

    3. Make sure any other charging services aren’t controlling your car.

     

    4. We might think your car isn’t at home. We currently identify ‘home’ as your car’s location when you signed up to UI Smart Home. If your car was not at home during your onboarding, then you will need to log out of your car in the app and reconnect it while your car is at home.

  • UI Smart Home charging plans won’t impact your battery any more than regular charging. Car batteries are designed to handle this pattern of charging, and should also be covered by your car's battery warranty.

  • To smart charge your car we’ll need to wake it up. We let your car go back to sleep (to avoid battery drain) as often as possible. We recommend keeping your car plugged in at home to help it go to sleep more often and for longer periods.

Rewards

  • Participants will earn a "sign up" reward of $100 for connecting an EV or heat pump ($150 for connecting both) as a credit on their bill. This will be applied to your UI statement within 2 months after starting the program.

     

    "Starting" is defined as the date that your device connects through the mobile app. For EVs, this refers to successfully completing the test charge step.

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    Participants can also earn monthly rewards of $25 per connected device (EV or heat pump). These accumulate throughout the program, and will be paid out as a lump-sum credit on the bill that comes after the program ends, on August 31, 2025.

  • Participants can earn $25 each month that their EV is connected. Those joining in July 2024 can earn up to $300 in monthly rewards.​

     

    Participants will forfeit their monthly reward if they boost charge (for longer than 2 minutes) more than 3 times in a given month.

  • Participants can earn $25 each month that their EV is connected. Those joining in August can earn up to $325 in monthly rewards.

     

    Participants will forfeit their reward if they suspend control (for longer than 24 hours) more than 3 times in a given month.

  • If you connect both an EV and heat pump for the duration of the program, you'll receive a $150 reward for signing up, and can earn up to $700 in monthly rewards - totalling $850 in bill credits.

  • Participants will be sent monthly emails during the program, to update you on your performance.

  • Participants can stack the rewards they earn for each device type. This means they can earn both $25 rewards each month, totalling $50.

     

    Participants will forfeit their EV and heat pump rewards for boost charging and suspending control too often, as described above.

UI Smart Home app

  • The app can be downloaded from the Apple & Google Play Stores.

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    Eligible customers will be emailed a confirmation email with instructions of how to connect their device to the app, and unlock rewards.

  • No - this app is separate from the existing UI app, specifically designed for smart control of your EV or heat pump. Ensure you are using your UI Smart Home credentials when logging into the UI Smart Home app.

  • Please contact us via email to report anything that looks strange - uismarthomehelp@uinet-kraken.energy

Ⓒ 2024 AVANGRID

Marketing for this pilot is paid for by UI customers through a portion of the Public Benefits charge which funds the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s Innovative Energy Solutions program.

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Help Desk: Call +1 855 758 9712 (Monday - Friday, 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.) or email hello@uinet-kraken.energy

Information collected by this site is handled in accordance with the applicable terms of UI's privacy policy and Kraken Technologies Limited's privacy policy.

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Heat Pumps

  • Mitsubishi heat pumps are currently supported​. Customers will need to have the Mistubishi kumo cloud app setup with their heat pump, since this confirms the ability for UI Smart Home to send instructions to the heat pump.

     

    UI Smart Home now supports homes with a either a single-zone or multi-zone heat pump system. Multi-zone systems have been introduced to the program in April 2025.

  • Kumo cloud supports the control of heat pump systems, connecting to mobile phones via a wireless interface for each unit - find out more here.

     

    The wireless interface requires installation, and is a requirement for SmartFlex control of Mitsubishi heat pumps, and therefore to be able to connect to the UI Smart Home app.

  • No - we currently only support customers with one heat pump in their home.

  • No. We request that your heat pump only be controlled via the UI Smart Home app during this program.​

     

    If you have smart control enabled through another app or thermostat, this could send conflicting schedules to your heat pump, and risk your home temperature not being adjusted as you expect.

  • Manually changing the mode on the heat pump will also interrupt and/or send conflicting schedules to your heat pump, so we recommend setting your preferences through the UI Smart Home app.

  • UI Smart Home connects to your heat pump via cloud control. We require you to connect your device in the UI Smart Home app to grant UI Smart Home access to send instructions to your heat pump.

     

    UI Smart Home will create a smart heating or cooling schedule for your heat pump based on the preferences you set in the UI Smart Home app.

  • Participants will set their preferences in the UI Smart Home app. Specifically, you'll set a:

    1. Target temperature (e.g. 68°F).

    2. Start time and end time for the period in which you'd like the target temperature to be met (e.g. 7am - 9am).

     

    Note - your cooling and heating slots must share the same start times and end times. For example, if your heating schedule has a slot of 7am - 9am, then your cooling scheudle must also have a 7am - 9am slot too.

     

    During smart control, UI Smart Home will always put customer preferences first.

  • You can manually switch between heating and cooling from the UI Smart Home app.

  • "Cooling" and "Heating" are standard actions your heat pump will take in order to meet your requested temperature, in the timeframe set in your schedule.

     

    "Smart Cooling" and "Smart Heating" takes place ahead of your schedule to cool or warm the home at times where there is less pressure on the grid.

     

    Adjusting the temperature of the home prior to a period of high grid constraints (e.g. high demand). The goal is to shift energy consumption to a period of lower demand on the grid, which then reduces energy consumption during typically higher demand periods.

  • UI Smart Home cools the home by reducing the target cooling temperature on your heat pump during periods when there is less pressure on the grid.

  • UI Smart Home warms the home by increasing the target heating temperature on your heat pump during periods when there is less pressure on the grid.

  • You can suspend smart control at any time, by heading to Settings in the UI Smart Home app. Note that if you suspend control too regularly, you risk forfeiting your reward for that month.

  • If your required temperature is outside of the range available in the via UI Smart Home, you might need to suspend control in the UI Smart Home app, and set this via the the Kumo cloud app.

  • You'll find your smart control status in the UI Smart Home app, this will tell you whether the heat pump is "Heating", "Smart Heating", "Cooling" or "Smart Cooling", or "Idle".

     

    Here, the "Idle" status suggests that UI Smart Home is no longer instructing the heat pump to perform heating or cooling activity, since the home should be heated / cooled sufficiently to reach the target temperature you set in the app.

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