Chris Saves Energy

Saving energy does not have to mean sitting in the dark in a jumper. There is a whole range of smart tech that can do the heavy lifting for you, and most of it does not cost a fortune.

Start with a smart meter

If you do not have one yet, ask your supplier for a free smart meter. It shows you exactly what you are spending in real time, which changes your behaviour more than you might expect. Seeing the number tick up when the kettle goes on is oddly motivating.

Smart plugs are a cheap starting point

You can pick up a pack of smart plugs on Amazon for under £20. Generic brands like Teckin, Gosund, and Kasa all work well and connect to Alexa or Google Home. Plug in your TV unit or desktop and set a schedule so nothing sits on standby overnight.

Some smart plugs also show you live energy usage per socket, which is handy for working out which appliances are costing the most.

A smart thermostat makes a real difference

Tado and Hive are the big UK names but they start at around £100 to £150. If that feels steep, look at the Drayton Wiser or generic alternatives on Amazon that do much the same job for half the price.

The key feature to look for is geofencing, where the heating turns down automatically when everyone leaves the house and kicks back in on the way home. Most people save enough in a year to cover the cost of the device.

Apps worth having

A few free apps that are genuinely useful:

Octopus Energy app if you are on any Octopus tariff. It shows your half-hourly usage and alerts you to plunge pricing events.

Loop connects to your smart meter and gives you detailed breakdowns of where your energy is going. Free and very good.

Smartlife is an app that links all of your smart appliances together. I use it for electric radiators, smart plugs, lamps and more.

The bottom line

You do not need to spend a lot to get started. A couple of smart plugs and a free app will show you more about your energy usage in a week than most people learn in a year. Start there and build up from it.