Digital housing care project highlights benefits of smart tech
- 11 July 2025
- A six-month project using smart sensors took place at a retirement housing development in South Lanarkshire
- The project involved sensors being placed around communal spaces and 10 individual properties to monitor property conditions such as temperature, humidity and motion
- It delivered an annual £7,670 saving in heating costs and an annual £2,825 saving in maintenance costs
A six-month project involving the use of smart sensors at a retirement housing development in South Lanarkshire has demonstrated benefits for both tenants and housing providers.
It involved sensors being placed around communal spaces and 10 individual properties at the retirement housing development, Langvout Court in Biggar, to monitor property conditions such as temperature, humidity and motion.
The project ‘Evaluating care delivery in rural settings’, showcased the technology innovations and was funded by the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of the Glasgow City Region (GCR) 5G Smart and Connected Places Programme.
It involved Glasgow-based digital health innovator Archangel alongside Bield Housing and Care and the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre.
The data was relayed to Archangel’s ambient assisted living secure technology platform and automatically monitored around the clock to address any potential issues that might arise in relation to the living conditions of tenants.
The sensors were connected via the Angelnet resilient connectivity network, with the data being made available to all stakeholders via the Archangel platform.
Gavin Wright, head of property management at Bield, said: “This project exemplifies how thoughtful innovation can support older people to live independently, safely and with dignity.
“We’re proud to have played a key role in a partnership that’s delivering real, positive change.
“The smart technology we trialled at Langvout Court has brought clear cost savings and improved safety.
“As a result, we’re now exploring how this approach can be rolled out across our wider estate.”
The project delivered an annual £7,670 saving in heating costs and an annual £2,825 saving in maintenance costs.
“An £18.5 million annual saving is also estimated when factored out across all of Scotland’s sheltered housing developments.
The project underwent an assessment by Edinburgh-based digital technology consultancy firm FarrPoint.
The final report on the project, produced by FarrPoint shows the impact that the use of smart sensors can have in the housing sector.
The main benefits listed include reduced utility costs, reduced maintenance costs, reduced manual checks, improve tenant safety, and improved regulatory compliance.
Kate Milne, economist at FarrPoint, who led the assessment, said: “As independent consultants, we often do studies evaluating the real impact that technology can bring, and I’m pleased that this particular assessment showed positive benefits of intelligent sensors to residents at Langvout Court.
“Not only did it enhance their sense of safety and wellbeing but also supported Bield staff to deliver more timely, informed responses.”
In October 2024, Digital Health News reported that Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust was working with Liverpool housing association Prima Group on a project that integrates social care housing data into NHS records to improve health outcomes.
The pilot, which started in August 2023, aimed to securely integrates housing data, encompassing living conditions, accessibility and locality, into NHS health records, with the aim of improving the quality of support services given to tenants.
