The future is flexibility: Rewarding you for playing a part in a smarter energy future
When people talk about the future of energy, the focus is usually on building more. More solar farms, more wind turbines, more big batteries. Or we hear warnings about energy shortages and rising demand. The solution that’s usually put forward? “Just build more power generation!”
But there’s a big piece missing from that story: the grid.
The grid is the almost-invisible system that delivers electricity to our homes, schools, and workplaces. And right now, it’s under pressure.
Unfortunately, pouring more power into a system that has components built at the start of the 20th century just won’t work. And you’re seeing that now with your rising energy bills. Adding more power won’t help if the system itself is overloaded, and building new infrastructure to generate more takes years, and costs a lot - costs that are inevitably passed on to you, the consumer.
At the same time, we’re ‘plugging in’ more than ever. Electric vehicles, home heating, and new tech. With demand for electricity expected to double by 2050 in Aotearoa, we need a smarter way to manage what we already have. That doesn’t mean generating more or changing how we live. It means using smarter.
It’s time to rethink not just how we make energy, but how and when we use it.
What is energy flexibility?
Put simply, energy flexibility means shifting energy use to times when power is cleaner, cheaper, or more available, often by just a few seconds. And with Maestro, your home appliances can do it automatically.
Maestro connects to everyday appliances like space heaters, EV chargers, heat pumps, and hot water cylinders. It works in the background to shift power use to better times for you and the grid, and rewards you for helping out.
That means less strain on the grid during busy periods, better use of renewable energy, lower infrastructure costs, and rewards in your pocket.
Energy flexibility is for everyone
Until now, the energy system has treated everyday users of energy as end points who end up footing the bill. But with Maestro, energy consumers can be active participants and rewarded for the value they bring, whether they’re a school principal managing a tight budget, or a busy parent trying to keep the house warm in winter.
We’ve already seen this working in practice through our roll-out of Maestro in Auckland and New Plymouth. Homeowners and renters are already being rewarded for their contribution to the grid. In New Plymouth, schools are exploring how Maestro could reduce their bills and support energy reliability in their communities.
Energy flexibility needs to work for real life
Let’s face it. Most people don’t have the time or headspace to constantly check an app or tweak their energy use every day to make energy savings and get rewarded. And why should they have to?
A lot of well-meaning energy tech promises big savings, but only if you’re willing to keep track of your usage, change your routine, or install expensive gear. Even time-of-use pricing by energy retailers, designed to encourage smarter consumption, can add complexity and stress without clear reward.
At Maestro, we’ve taken a different approach. Maestro is designed to be completely hands-off, working quietly in the background so you don’t have to think about it. It connects to appliances you already own and uses Wi-Fi to communicate with our cloud-based platform and the grid. It learns your usage patterns and makes subtle adjustments, like shifting a heat pump by a few minutes or shifting EV charging briefly during peak demand, without compromising comfort, control or your convenience.
And because Maestro supports the grid when it needs it most, consumers are rewarded for their participation, with no effort or energy know-how required.
Maestro isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about fairness and ensuring the benefits of a smarter grid aren’t just reserved for the big players or those who can afford rooftop solar or home batteries.
At Maestro, we’re not just making energy smarter. We’re making it fairer. And that changes everything.
