Basis Smart Panel – Smarter, Safer Energy Control
- The ATL Team
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
What if your home’s switchboard could do more than just sit quietly in a cupboard? What if it could actively help you reduce your power bill, keep your family safer, and make sure your home is ready for the future of energy?
That’s the thinking behind the BASIS Smart Panel – New Zealand’s first next-generation electrical panel designed to give you live visibility, control, and protection. Installed by ATL Electrical’s certified installers, this innovation replaces the old “fuse box” with a powerful energy hub that turns your home into a truly smart, efficient, and safer space.
From saving households over $1,000 a year to offering the world’s most advanced residential electrical safety system, BASIS is a game-changer. Let’s explore why.
Why It Matters
Electricity is one of the biggest ongoing costs for Kiwi households – and it’s only getting more expensive. On top of that, we’re using more devices, appliances, and EV chargers than ever before. Traditional switchboards simply weren’t designed for this new reality.
That’s where BASIS steps in. By measuring your electricity use 20,000 times a second and turning that raw data into actionable insights, it empowers homeowners to make smarter choices about when and how they use power.
It’s not just about efficiency – it’s about control, savings, and safety.
From Fuse Box to Smart Panel
For decades, switchboards have been a mystery box. They route electricity, trip if overloaded, and stay out of sight. But beyond that, they don’t help you understand how your home actually works.
The BASIS Smart Panel flips that on its head. Instead of being a passive background device, it becomes a live dashboard of your home’s electrical health and usage.
Developed in New Zealand by Julz Collett and Danny Purcell, BASIS was born out of a simple question: what if the switchboard could do more? After five years, countless prototypes, and an uncompromising commitment to safety and simplicity, the result is the world’s most advanced residential smart panel.
How BASIS Works
At its core, BASIS is a fully digital distribution panel that replaces your fuse box. But unlike standard boards, it comes with built-in intelligence.
Circuit-level monitoring: See exactly how much power each circuit in your home uses – from the hot water cylinder to the dishwasher.
Retail cost optimiser: Compares your usage against retail power plans and recommends the cheapest option, showing your potential savings.
Remote access & control: Switch circuits on and off from anywhere via the BASIS app.
Real-time insights: Identify inefficiencies, reduce load during peak times, and optimise your usage strategy.
Grid-ready flexibility: Seamlessly integrate with solar, batteries, EV chargers, and other distributed energy resources.
By constantly scanning your home’s energy use and pairing it with live retail pricing data, BASIS helps you automate savings without sacrificing comfort.
Savings Potential: Real-World Results
For many households, electricity bills feel unavoidable – but BASIS proves there’s another way.
When Danny Purcell, BASIS co-founder, installed the system in his own home, the results were immediate. Within just two weeks, BASIS identified exactly how much his hot water was costing. By automating the cylinder to run at off-peak times, his household is now on track to save between $1,100 and $1,400 a year.
These savings don’t come from using less electricity, but from using it smarter. By shifting loads to cheaper times of day, BASIS takes advantage of pricing differences that most households never get visibility of.
Even at a conservative level, most homeowners can expect at least a 10% reduction in annual power costs. For larger households or homes with high energy demand, the potential is much higher.
Safety Reimagined
While most smart home devices focus on convenience, BASIS puts safety front and centre.
Traditional switchboards can only protect against the basics. But BASIS incorporates advanced protections that go far beyond industry standards:
Arc fault detection: Arc faults are the hidden cause of up to 80% of electrical fires – and usually go undetected. BASIS is designed to catch them instantly.
Overload protection: Prevent dangerous overloading of circuits before they become a risk.
Shock protection: Enhanced safety features meet the higher standards usually reserved for schools and daycares – now available in Kiwi homes.
Remote circuit shut-off: Forgot to turn off the iron or heater? Check the app, and with one tap, power down that circuit remotely.
The result is what Purcell calls “the world’s most advanced residential electrical safety system” – giving homeowners peace of mind while making compliance easier for builders and sparkies.
Smarter Energy Management
The BASIS Smart Panel isn’t just about savings and safety – it’s designed for the future.
Solar-ready: Monitor production, optimise when to use or export energy.
Battery-ready: Seamlessly integrate with storage for greater self-sufficiency.
EV-ready: Track EV charging costs, automate charging at off-peak times.
Grid-friendly: As New Zealand’s grid evolves, BASIS ensures your home is ready to participate in smarter energy markets.
Flexible software options: Choose the right package for your needs – Core for essential insights and protection, Pro for advanced control and automation, or Max for full integration with solar, batteries, and the smart grid. You can upgrade anytime as your lifestyle and energy needs grow.
By putting intelligence into the foundation of your home’s electrical system, BASIS makes your house future-proof.
Who It’s For
Homeowners: Looking to reduce bills, gain control, and improve safety.
Builders & Architects: Future-proof new builds and stand out with smart infrastructure.
Businesses: Reduce energy spend, simplify fault detection, and improve workplace safety.
With BASIS installed, every circuit becomes visible, every decision becomes smarter, and every household becomes safer.
Designed for NZ Homes
One of the best things about BASIS is that it’s built right here in New Zealand – designed for the way Kiwis live, use electricity, and plan for the future.
It’s not a complicated gadget; it’s a reimagined foundation for every home. And with official ATL installation, you can trust it will be set up correctly, safely, and ready to perform from day one.
Electricity isn’t getting cheaper. Traditional switchboards aren’t getting smarter. And households aren’t getting safer by doing nothing.
The BASIS Smart Panel changes that equation. By combining live insights, automation, advanced safety, and future-ready integration, it transforms the humble fuse box into a central hub of savings, safety, and control.
It’s more than a product – it’s a shift in how we engage with power at home.
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