Apparatus and method for detecting degradation in climate control system performance

Apparatus for detecting degradation in the performance of a climate control system indicative of failure in the climate control system, comprising:

• a climate control signal input for receiving a climate control signal indicative of a climate control system in a property being turned on and turned off;
• an energy consumption input for receiving an energy consumption signal indicative of an energy consumption of the property;
• a correlator to correlate the climate control signal and energy consumption signal to determine an energy consumption signature of the climate control system when turned on or turned off;
• and
• a detector to detect differences in the determined energy consumption signature indicative on a degradation of climate control system performance by comparing the determined energy consumption signature with previously obtained energy consumption signatures.

A method for detecting degradation in the performance of a heating system indicative of failure in the heating system, comprising:

• receiving heating system control data indicative of a heating system in a location being turned on and turned off;
• receiving an energy consumption signal indicative of the energy consumption of the location;
• correlating the received energy consumption signal with the received heating system control data to determine an energy consumption signature of the heating system when being turned on and turned off;
• and
• comparing the determined energy consumption signature with previously obtained energy consumption signatures to detect differences in the determined signature that are indicative of degradation of heating system performance indicative of impending heating system failure.