Member Article

Smarten-up, why wait for the energy freeze?

So if Labour wins the next general election, it has promised to freeze energy prices. Does this mean prices will continue to go through the roof between now and 2015? What happens if Labour doesn’t win the next election?

The fact is that opposition parties will say anything to try and win more votes so no one should bank on this promise coming to fruition.

To really save, hard-up Brits need to smarten-up and take control of their own energy bills now.

Obviously, the easiest way to reduce what you are spending, and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time, is to control your consumption. Huge savings can be made by making small changes to your daily routine.

Energy conscious Brits, or more likely cash-strapped Brits, can now monitor their energy consumption via their smartphone. Simply by clicking on Efergy’s free energy monitoring app, which is available for both iOS and Android, you can see exactly how much electricity you are using in real time. For example, if you switch the kettle on, you will see within six seconds how many kilo watts it takes to boil, or if lights have been left on upstairs, you can tell as it will show up on the app.

It has been proven by seeing exactly how much energy you are using that the majority of us will make changes. Just by making little changes to our energy consumption habits can have a major impact on your electricity bill. In fact, it can cut as much as 20% off your yearly bill.

“Energy prices are a very touchy subject in the UK currently, prices continue to soar as energy companies announce huge profits,” says Michael Parker, Head of European Sales at Efergy.

“The politicians have now jumped on the bandwagon promising a price freeze, but there is just no way we can bank on this happening. What Brits are really interested in is what is happening today and how can they save money right now.

“The easiest way to guarantee savings is obviously by reducing how much energy you use, but this is easier said than done. This is why the smartphone app actually works, it allows you to monitor your use in an easy, and dare I say it, fun way. You can sit on the couch and see exactly how many kilo watts of electricity you are using in real time. If you are anything like me, when you see how much you are actually using you will go around the house switching things off and seeing the effect this has. You only have to do this a few times and your habits will begin to change, it actually gets quite addictive.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Michael Donaldson .