Aussie Pool Owners Tapped for National Trial to Slash Energy Bills

Poolwerx, Australia’s largest pool servicing network, and Intellihub, the region’s fastest-growing energy infrastructure business, have announced the launch of Pooled Gen 2 Controller - a national smart pool trial with its first rollout as a pilot program designed to turn the humble backyard pool into a high-tech and energy-saving asset.

The announcement comes ahead of the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) final Default Market Offer (DMO) determination next week, which is expected to confirm a welcome decrease in benchmark electricity prices for the 2026–27 period.

While the DMO is set to provide a lower price ceiling for millions, the Poolwerx and Intellihub partnership aims to help homeowners go further — slashing energy bills by up to an additional 40 per cent through the deployment of the new, innovative Pooled Gen 2 Controller.

Partially funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the Pooled Gen 2 partnership represents a new era of innovation for the pool industry, combining real-time data, automation and proactive servicing to the way Australians manage their pools. The technology shifts pool care from reactive maintenance to a more efficient and connected experience for clients.

The Pilot Program: 12 Months Free for Early Adopters

As the first phase of this partnership, Poolwerx and Intellihub are inviting existing and new Poolwerx clients to join the Pooled Gen 2 Controller trial via a subscription service that bundles the hardware, app, installation, and ongoing Poolwerx remote monitoring into a single monthly fee.

To encourage participation and gather vital data on household savings, selected homeowners will receive a 12-month free subscription to the Pooled Gen 2 Controller management service, valued at just over $700.

Global CEO at Poolwerx, Nic Brill, said the trial is a new era of innovation and a critical step in modernising the franchises and industry service offering:

“Our ultimate vision at Poolwerx has always been about creating the backyard lifestyle and ensuring families can seamlessly create lifelong poolside memories. Traditionally, pool care has been reactive, homeowners only seek help once the water turns green or equipment breaks down, disrupting those precious moments,” said Mr Brill.

"The launch of the Pooled Gen 2 Controller completely shifts the mindset from reactive to proactive maintenance and health management. By combining Intellihub’s advanced data capabilities with our pool care expertise, we are delivering a first-to-market technology that gives Poolwerx a clear competitive edge.

unparalleled smart insights and remote diagnostics to solve issues before they even occur. This innovation ensures we deliver on our core brand promise: keeping pools healthy, safe, and always ready to swim in."

The Pooled Gen 2 Controller is a retrofit smart device installed between pool equipment and the power supply, monitoring and automating key pool functions in real time.

Using intelligent automation, the system learns a pool’s filtration needs and shifts pump operation into off-peak tariff windows, reducing unnecessary runtime and optimising chemistry cycles. Clients can also monitor their pool’s performance through a companion app.

Wes Ballantine, Intellihub CEO, highlighted the infrastructure goals of the pilot:

“This technology will help customers save money and deliver greater flexibility to the national grid. We are excited to launch this with Poolwerx to get the device in the hands of more pool owners.”

And with so many homeowners not being able to identify problems with their pools until they are visible, the practical benefits of subscribing to the Pooled Gen 2 Controller are significant:

A pump drawing less current than expected can be identified before failure occurs

A chemistry imbalance can be corrected early through a dosing adjustment prompted by an app notification, rather than requiring extensive corrective treatment later

Clients preparing for a heatwave, gathering, or holiday period can receive proactive updates on whether their pool is swim-ready

Insights from the trial will help shape a broader national rollout planned for later this summer, highlighting the sheer scale that the new technology could bring to homeowners and Franchise Partners.

The opportunity by the numbers

• 1.6 Million: Residential pools across Australia targeted for future smart integration

• 3 Gigawatts: The combined energy load of these pools—roughly the size of a major power station

• $59.95 Value: The cost of the subscription is being waived for 12 months for trial participants

• $500 - $1,000+: Potential annual savings for households participating in the smart energy pilot

Poolwerx clients in Queensland, NSW and Victoria interested in participating in the Pooled Gen 2 trial can register at https://pooled.poolwerx.com.au/.

*An independent preliminary study by Energeia found pools operating with the Pooled controller achieved up to 40% energy savings compared to equivalent pools without the technology; efficiency gains that translate directly into reduced running costs.