Smart meter user saves £30 a month on energy bills with ‘sensible’ habits
Brit says it 'frightening' to look at smart meter due to steep bill
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Ava Kelly, from Tamworth, had her smart meter installed around two years ago, and she checks the device five or six times a day. She said it has been a huge help as she’s become more aware of how much her appliances costs.
She told Express.co.uk: “I’ve looked back at my bills – it makes you more aware of your consumption.
“I’ve saved about £30 a month.
“My bills were fairly high. They were about £170 before, now they’re about £140.
“It’s about £1 a day I’m saving, since I’ve become more aware of what I’m using.”
READ MORE: UK recession warning as Britons told to take ‘precautionary measures’
Ava lives with her partner in a five-bedroom detached property and is on a three-year fixed tariff.
She spoke about some of the ways that she has cut her costs by keeping a track of her energy usage.
She said: “Boiling the kettle alone costs 75p, we limit it now to a maximum of three times a day.
“I used to have lots of fairy lights in the garden outside that I left on all the time. I changed those to solar ones.
“Being aware of turning things off at the plug rather than leaving them on standby.
“I used to leave my laptop on standby all the time, that’s a big drain.
“Trying to use things like the washing machine and dishwasher in off-peak hours.”
She said that the smart meter was “distracting” when it was first installed, as she would notice how using everyday appliances like a hairdryer would cause a spike in her energy usage.
READ MORE: Scam warning: Santander explains what it’ll never do
But over time, she got used to it and found it helpful to see where she was using something more than usual.
Ava works for energy price comparison group, Power Compare, which also provides advice on how to install and use smart meters.
She said that trying to cut costs by using appliances during off-peak hours is more feasible for people.
She said: “Be aware of what your off-peak hours are for your energy.
“Try and use appliances in those hours and have a look at your smart meter and see how much more you’re saving.
“Especially now a lot of people are working remotely, they’re able to do things like put the dishwasher on and the washing machine, or the tumble dryer, in off-peak hours.
“That can help people make savings as well.
“In some ways, bills are going up, because people are at home more so they’re putting on the heating more.
“In other ways, if you’re sensible about it you can make savings because you can use off peak more often, whereas before everybody was constrained as to when they were going to be at home.”
Source: Read Full Article