YOUR smartphone can be used to cut your energy bills by £140 a year.
The Energy Saving Trust says you can save over £100 a year by switching your devices off standby and keeping your lights off.
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British Gas has also written a blog post on the 10 energy-saving tips for your home which also highlights the importance of turning devices off at the socket.
The Sun has already revealed how households could save nearly £140 a year by switching off their unused tech and appliances at the socket.
However, you can make your home as intuitive as your smartphone by investing in a bunch of smart plugs and lightbulbs.
You can then control what devices are switched off at the socket with a simple tap on your phone’s screen – whether you’re at home or abroad.
This will come in handy as energy bills for the typical household are set to rise from £1,971 to £3,549 next month.
Here’s how much it costs on average to leave your devices on standby throughout the year:
- TV – £24.61
- Set top box – £23.10
- Internet router – £18.89
- Microwave – £16.37
- Games console – £12.17
- Computer – £11.22
- Shower: £9.80
- Dishwasher: £6.86
- Tumble dryer: £4.79
- Washing machine: £4.73
- Printer: £3.81
- Phone charger: £1.26
With this in mind having the technology to remotely control household appliances is the smart way to go.
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They save you money, make life easier and give you peace of mind. Here are the best smart plugs around to help you decide.
Hive Active Plug
- Costs: £39 (3 pack for £109 or 5 pack for £159)
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Switch on your lamps, turn on your stereo or TV, even put the kettle on for when you get home.
Simply plug it into your wall socket then plug your appliances into it as normal. Turn your straighteners off from wherever you are with a tap of the app.
To get maximum use out of the smart plug you’ll need a Hive Hub to help control your devices remotely.
You can buy a Hive Active Plug directly from the Hive website.
Eve Energy
- Costs: £39.95
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If you want to keep track of how much energy your appliances are using, Eve’s smart plug gives you a real-time account of usage, making it easy for you switch devices on or off with a tap.
You won’t need a smart hub as these plugs work directly via Bluetooth. However, they’re only designed to work exclusively with Apply products.
You can buy an Eve smart plug directly from Amazon.
Amazon Smart Plug
- Costs: £24.99
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Although many smart plugs communicate well with Alexa, it stands to reason the one by Amazon will work with it the best.
Set up, through Echo naturally. From hereon, simply ask Alexa about your devices and you’re good to set schedules, establish routines and operate appliances remotely.
For those who don’t want to toggle back and forth between apps and networks, this is a real time saver. Better still, no smart home hub required.
Amazon offers free delivery and free click and collect on its smart devices.
TP-LINK Tapo Four Pack
- Costs: £27.99
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These smart plugs come with an app, which allows you to name your plugs, turn them on and off, set schedules and timers, and keep track of multiple appliances.
They are compatible with both Alexa and Google Home and don’t require a smart hub.
You can buy the multi-pack on Amazon.
