During the winter months, our home energy bills can skyrocket. Colder days and dark nights make us much more reliant on our heating and lighting.
This winter, saving energy is an even greater challenge with many of us set to continue working from home after Christmas.
However, this doesn’t mean we should give up on reducing our carbon footprint and lowering our energy bills.
Over recent years, a huge range of energy saving mobile apps have been launched to help users save money on their bills. From smart thermostats to rideshare apps, the opportunity to save energy is right at your fingertips.
To help you make sense of the apps on offer, the energy experts at Power Compare have put together a list of 4 mobile apps to help you save energy and money.
Hive is one of the most well-known providers of smart thermostats. Hive claim customers can save up to £120 a year using their smart home system.
Money-saving features include frost protection and holiday modes which will ensure you don’t waste energy when you leave home. Hive has even teamed up with Amazon to allow you to control your home’s heating using your Amazon Echo.
It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that your Hive system will need to be installed by a British Gas engineer.
How much does Hive cost?
To install Hive, you will need to pay £225 for the hardware and installation.
With the Energy Consumption Analyzer app, you can view accurate readings on how much energy you consume daily.
You will be asked to input data from your meters into the app. From these readings, the Energy Consumption Analyzer will provide data on your gas, electricity, and water usage. You can then colour code data and add comments to help you process the information provided.
The app does require quite a lot of information to be inputted manually and you will need to remember to update the app regularly to receive your average energy consumption.
How much does the Energy Consumption Analyzer cost?
The app is free, but it is only available to Android users on the Google Play Store.
Leaving lights on around the home can be one of the largest drains on our energy usage. Lights left on in a room we aren’t using is wasted energy and therefore, wasted money.
With the Philips Hue smart lighting system, you can control the lights around your entire home. You can even change the colour and brightness of lights in a certain room.
The app allows you to set up lighting schedules around the clock and location awareness can automatically turn lights on or off as you leave or arrive home.
How much does Philips Hue cost?
The app is free, but you will be required to buy Philips Hue lightbulbs. You can purchase a starter pack containing 2 light bulbs for around £40. Individual colour ambience LED bulbs can cost £49.99 each.
The WhatGas app allows you to find the cost of petrol and diesel per litre for each petrol station. This allows you to plan your journey in advance to ensure you’re getting the best prices when fuelling your vehicle.
If you’re in an unfamiliar area, the app will also help you avoid driving around searching for the nearest petrol station.
How much does WhatGas cost?
The WhatGas app is free on both iOS and Android devices.
Keep a close eye on your energy usage
Using these apps and finding other ways to become more energy efficient will not only help the environment, but it’ll also help your pockets feel a little heavier.
