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June 29, 2019

Do Smart Meters save you money?

Do smart meters save you money?

  • Smart meters can help you to see where you could save energy
  • Less energy means lower bills
  • From eco modes to boycotting the TV: 8 easy tips to save energy

By 2020, all homes in the UK will have been offered the opportunity to have a smart meter installed. The initiative decided by our current Government will give millions of houses the chance to see their energy usage and how they can take control of it. This will also help with the potential to save money along the way. The best part… all smart meters are installed free of charge!

When you have your smart meter installed, you’ll also receive a FREE smart energy monitor that will show you how much energy you have used/using in pounds and pence. This wireless smart energy monitor  helps you to see the devices and activities in the household that are using the most energy. The smart monitors also sends more accurate bills to your energy supplier so there is no more estimations on your energy usage.

Energy savings with smart meters

Dependant on your energy supplier you could say around on average £32 a year on your energy bills, this is since the smart meter has been installed. There are various energy saving apps on both the Google Play Store and iTunes that you could download. These apps will help gain more visibility on your energy accounts and help you save even more per year in the future. The Hive Active Heating can help you switch your heating on and off during the day without being at home! The Hive Home is such a great product, it offers everything you need to turn your home into a smart home to help keep your bills down. They offer both one-time payments and monthly installments! You even get a free Amazon Echo at the time of writing. There are also some other simple changes you could change around your house which are explain further below.

the active hive heating thermostat

Energy-saving ideas

So, how can you reduce your energy bills? Here are a few things you can do to start saving energy at home. 

How many cups of tea are you making?

How much do you think it costs to boil a full kettle? It could cost more then you think. If we work out the maths it's simple. The more water that you boil the longer it takes, this means more energy used. Plus, this all adds up over the course of the day. If you fill the kettle with the exact amount of water that you require, you will save roughly £7 a year. Doesn’t seem much but if you add it to the saving you will make if you have a smart meter, it all starts to add up over the year. So, the next time you decide to make a cuppa, ask yourself: do I need a full kettle to make 1 or 2 hot drinks?

smart meter with a boiling kettle in the background along with a white cup and spoon

Turn off your red lights

Did you know that the average household spends around £30 a year on powering your electrical appliances that are left on standby mode? If you’re not using your TV or games console, then try to turn it off at the plug. Another addition to your yearly savings. If you require additional plug sockets because these appliances are running off an extension lead, then contact your local professional electrician in Thanet.

power switch this is lit green on a monitor or TV

Load up the washing machine

This simple but effective approach will save you money. To get the most out of the energy that your washing machine uses, fill it up to a full load. That way you’ll need fewer washes to get through any laundry you have. If you could cut back your washing machine us by just one cycle per week, then you could save roughly £5 a year on energy.

Half loaded washing machine

Dry your washing outside

We understand it’s not always possible to hand your washing outside, or even use an airier in your household, but tumble dryers can be costly to run. If you can and the weather is good, why not dry your freshly washed laundry outside on a washing line? This will help save you money throughout the year. A typical tumble dryer uses roughly £85 per year. If you could cut that down by a quarter you could add an additional £21 per year to your savings.

wet white washing hanging in the garden with a nice sunset in the background

The magical ECO button

A lot of new appliances nowadays, whether it’s your washing machine, dishwasher or even your TV come with an “eco” mode. Do you think that eco mode means you won’t get the same results? Think again, you can get the same results even when on eco mode, maybe it’s time you give it a go? You could reduce a couple of quid off your next energy bill!

finger pushing the eco button on a modern dishwasher

Switch on the energy savings

Most bulbs on the market now are low wattage, they may take a couple of minutes to become bright, but these bulbs could help you save on your yearly energy bill. Why not swap your old high wattage light bulbs for some of the more energy efficient ones, like an LED bulb? Most councils in the UK are switching the streetlights to LEDs as you may have already seen. If you’re leaving a room and you’re the last one out, turn the light off as you leave. This will save you around £14 per year on your energy bills.

high wattage light with a note saying please don't forget the lights.

Look for the energy efficiency rating on new appliances

If you take a moment and think about, some of your appliances such as your fridge/freezer stay on all year round, all day every day. It makes sense when looking for a new appliance to look for the energy efficient label. The most eco-friendly appliances have a ranking of A++ and the worst is a G. Look over the image below about what the ratings mean.

energy egficiency rating explain what they mean

The bigger the screen, the bigger the cost

It’s nice to have a large TV in your home but did you know that the bigger the screen the more energy it uses? For example, an A-rated 22” LCD TV can typically cost £6 a year to run, not to bad right? But what if you have an A-rated 60” LCD TV? This TV would be costing you £33 per year, that’s an additional £27 a year that you could be putting towards your annual energy savings. Keep this in mind when you’re considering purchasing a new TV, also make sure you switch it off at the plug if possible. Most modern TVs allow you to change your picture mode to help save energy, this can be located by pressing the menu button on your controller.

different TV screen options and how eco friendly they are.

What we have spoken above are just a few ideas on how you can save on your energy bill around the home. Put the above tips into action and you could save on average £120 a year. If you would like to find out further ways to save on your home energy, then visit the Energy Saving Trust website.

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