You can also install smart radiator valves (also called smart radiator thermostats) to give you precise control over your radiators. Popular smart thermostat brands include Google (which owns Nest), Hive, Netatmo and Tado, but there are many others on the market – and prices vary considerably.įind out more about how they compare in our guide to Google Nest vs other smart thermostats. Most will connect to a smart home network such as Google Home and/or Amazon Alexa and come with a variety of functions. Turning your thermostat down by just one degree can drop energy bills by 10%, according to estimates by the Energy Savings Trust.īut for a much more nuanced approach, smart thermostats can save you energy (and money) by responding to trends in your behaviour and lowering temperatures automatically when you’re not in. Heating makes up a big part of most people's energy bills.
You can use them to turn your heating off or down remotely using your smartphone, and programme them very precisely to suit your schedule so that you are only ever using central heating when you need to. They give you close control over the temperature of your home, whether you’re in it or not. If you've not yet got a smart thermostat, it's worth considering one before we get into the winter months. Read on to find out how smart tech can help keep costs down, sometimes at a relatively low up-front cost. Now, we're looking at the technology designed to keep control of your electricity usage. Our experts have already found that by changing the way you use your appliances, there are some surprisingly good ways to reduce energy use around the home, and big differences in how much energy kitchen appliances use. In order to keep a handle on your utility bills, it's worth making sure you're being as efficient as possible with your usage. But energy deals are in short supply right now and, for most customers, switching provider isn't going to lower your monthly payments.īut no matter what tariff you're on, your energy is likely to be costing you more than ever before. We’d usually recommend you switch to a cheaper energy deal to save money. Changing some of your daily habits is a good start, but there are also clever gadgets and apps that can help you make further savings around your home.
Many of us are looking for ways to keep our gas and electricity bills in check.