365.L Regulatory News (365)

15 Jun 2009 07:00



VPhase plc

('VPhase' or 'the Company')

VPhase achieves CE Certification

VPhase plc (AIM:VPHA), a leading developer of energy saving products for residential and commercial properties, is pleased to announce that it has achieved CE Certification for its Smart Voltage Management product. CE marking will allow VPhase, a subsidiary of Energetix Group plc (AIM:EGX), to immediately initiate commercial sales of its product in the UK and mainland Europe.

Certification will also enable VPhase to carry out household field trials with its UK utility partners, Scottish & Southern Energy and British Gas, and to continue to develop its pipeline of potential sales contacts established in the past year through the Company's ongoing marketing efforts. 

CE Certification is a prerequisite marking for all electrical appliances before they can be sold in the UK and mainland Europe. The CE marking has been achieved following a series of rigorous tests by independent test houses, covering the key requirements of electromagnetic compatibility (both emissions and immunity) and safety compliance.

The VPhase Smart Voltage Management product reduces and regulates incoming voltage into a household. Testing has demonstrated that the product can result in savings on typical electricity bills of up to 10% or more. VPhase is targeting its first sales via partnerships with energy utilities, social housing organisations, and energy efficiency companies to introduce the units into UK homes. In addition, VPhase has started a programme to introduce the units to other geographical markets such as mainland Europe and the US. It has begun discussions regarding routes to the US market with British Gas, whose parent group Centrica plc is owner of Direct Energy, one of the US' leading integrated energy companies.

The UK installation of domestic energy efficiency measures such as the VPhase device is being boosted by the Government's Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) programme, which expects to spend over £3 billion on such measures during the period from 2008 to 2011. 

Lee Juby, CEO of VPhase, says: "We are very pleased that we have now achieved CE Certification for our Smart Voltage Management unit, which means that we can immediately instigate the push to commercial sales of our units.  Our agreements with British Gas and Scottish and Southern Energy will, subject to satisfactory trials, allow access to up to 40% of the UK housing market, and we are continuing to establish further opportunities through other routes.

"I would like to commend all of our team for their dedication to developing and marketing the VPhase product. We now look forward to achieving commercial sales in the UK market and making headway into additional countries."

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About VPhase plc

VPhase plc provides a product that reduces the energy consumption of many domestic electrical appliances.

The Company has developed a Smart Voltage Management product designed to be attached to the consumer unit (fuse box) in order to control the incoming voltage for selected circuits to a target set point of 220 volts. This is slightly higher than the minimum design point for electrical items in Europe, thereby ensuring that electrical appliances in the home operate closer to the voltage condition for which they were designed.

Tests by VPhase have demonstrated that the product can typically save 10% of the electricity across a range of domestic products including fridges, freezers, central heating pumps, televisions and other items, even 'energy-saving' light bulbs. This should equate to savings for the typical homeowner of £50 per annum.

In addition, there is evidence that the life of electrical appliances can be extended by the use of this product; light bulbs, in particular, have demonstrated at least two times longer life when on a circuit managed by the voltage management product as compared to those without the product.

VPhase is a subsidiary of Energetix Group plc and was admitted to AIM in September 2007. It is based near Chester, NW England.