Our story

Our Goal

Homie aims for a cleaner world

Modern appliances often break down quickly and are being thrown away as soon as they do. High-quality, durable appliances are often very expensive and many households still use old, inefficient appliances. As a result, the negative impact on the environment continues to increase.

The European Union and Dutch government aim for a fully circular economy by 2050. To achieve this goal, we must use our resources more economically and smarter. It is of importance for manufacturers to produce better quality and more durable devices that last longer and for the end user to take responsibility for using these appliances sustainably.

In pursuit of a cleaner world, Homie goes one step further. In cooperation with a manufacturer, Homie has developed affordable and energy-efficient machines.
We are now introducing our own Homie machines. In this way, we want you as a customer to wash economically and affordably.

Why Homie

The origin

Homie originated from academic research. The starting point: how can we encourage sustainable use of home appliances? Homie contributes to a circular economy by offering its appliances as a service (product-as-a-service) and by encouraging energy-efficient use. The end user only pays for the use of the appliance and Homie remains the owner and therefore responsible for the appliance. With our Pay-Per-Use model you never have to buy an appliance again, whilst we stimulate sustainable and efficient appliance use and encourage manufacturers to develop long-lasting appliances. This promotes the lifespan of devices and reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions

washing machine control panel temperatures

Our impact

Pay-Per-Use stimulates and rewards

Homie users contribute to sustainability.

Did you know that the impact of the appliance on the environment is mainly driven by the usage? Via Pay-Per-Use we stimulate and reward sustainable appliance usage. Energy-efficient programs are cheaper than energy-inefficient programs.

Social

Clean clothes for everyone

Homie also provides its appliances to people who are having a hard time, because we believe that clean clothes should be available to everyone. We donate washing machines to the Ontmoeting foundation. The Ontmoeting foundation was founded in 1988 in Rotterdam and helps people who are stuck to stand on their own feet again.

About Homie

Homie is a young organization specialized in Pay-Per-Use services

Since 2018, we have been offering sustainable appliances through Pay-Per-Use and our strong personal service. We started from a sustainable ideology with a full Pay-Per-Use model. The Pay-Per-Use model proved to be successful. It resulted in awareness and more energy-efficient laundry behavior among our users. Today for Washing & Drying we operate a subscription where you can rent for a fixed monthly fee (all-in price).

How we contribute to circularity

1. Slowing the loop

We only offer energy-efficient machines with a long lifespan. We encourage manufacturers to design their appliances to be more economical, durable and easier to repair. By refurbishing and reusing our devices, they last much longer so fewer appliances need to be produced.

2. Influencing sustainable consumption behavior

Research shows that our pay-per-use model nudge customers to start washing more efficiently, this way they use up to 25% less energy and water.

3. Shared use

Besides the service for individual households, we also focus on the shared use of white goods. In a residential complex you don't need your own washer or dryer. Sharing Homie machines is cheaper and better for the environment because fewer appliances are needed in total.

4. Social contribution

We donate Homie appliances with a still limited appliance life to social services.

5. Closing the loop

Together with Wecycle we recycle parts and old Homie and non-Homie appliances that are no longer usable.

History

It all started with a simple idea at the kitchen table

In 2018, Dr. Nancy Bocken, Hidde-Jan Lemstra and Collin Bom co-founded Homie to prove that a pay-per-use concept could beneficial for both the user, the company and the environment

We have developed a tracker with which we can provide insights in washing behavior. The first pilot with washing machines in the Rotterdam region proved that our customers were saving money and energy through our pay-per-use model. Together with our partners we subsequently rolled out our pay-per-use concept throughout the Netherlands. There are now more than 5000 Homie users and we are growing steadily.