With the cost of energy due to soar even further this month, many households have been installing smart meters in a bid to keep on top of their energy usage. And according to Ofgem, all energy suppliers must aim to install smart meters in every home in the UK.
The handy devices work by showing home owners and renters the cost and usage of energy in their house in almost real time by breaking down the day into hourly usage slots. Although they are seen as controversial by some, they are still a great comfort to people who would like to feel as though they have as much control as possible over the cost of their energy bills.
However, there are some people who don't have the option to install one at all. Those who live in flats or apartments where the electric meters are located in the basement with no Wi-Fi signal, will struggle to effectively install a smart meter. If this is the case for you there are other solutions available to help you keep an eye on the energy you are using, what you are using it on, and the cost.
Faced with the choice between using one appliance over the other, for example; cooking in the oven or the air fryer or even the microwave, bill payers can use an energy cost calculator to compare energy usage and costs.
It works by cross referencing the appliance's wattage (in either watts or kilowatts) with the time that is has been used for (in either minutes or hours) under the appropriate energy cap limit to work out the exact cost of the appliance, and help consumers to make informed decisions about the energy they use.
There are also options to figure out the exact usage of items such as kettles. All users need to do is click on the kettle icon, and record how long their kettle boils for using the 'start' and 'finish' icons on the website. This will calculate an estimate of the cost of using the kettle for that long, and give tips on how to reduce the costs.
The website also offers brand comparisons on the energy uses of different appliances. See some of the best value energy use appliances below.
Low energy use kettle
The Swan SK18130BLKN holds 1 Litre of water, takes approximately 6 minutes to boil, costs 3.08p to boil a full kettle, and will set users back just £33.77 a year based on a person boiling three full kettles a day, every day of the year. This kettle is available to buy from Swan for just £16.99.
The average kettle typically holding 1.7 Litres, such as the Logik L17JBS17, costs 5.24p on average to boil water to its maximum capacity, costing users approximately £57.42 a year. This kettle is available to buy from currys for just £14.98.
Low energy use microwave
According to Suss-it, the average cost to run a 700w microwave such as the Russel Hobbs RHMM701R is 2.29p for five minutes at maximum power, based on a person using this once a day for the whole year the cost would be £8.35.
This is pretty standard usage price across the board as most microwaves use the same wattage and are typically similar sizes. However, there are slightly more expensive-to-run options on the market so if you are looking to keep your energy usage low, be careful not to exceed 800w.
Low energy use toaster
One of the cheapest toasters to run is the Essentials C02TW17 for just £8.99 from Currys. To run this toaster for three minutes at its highest power costs 0.98p, and £3.58 for the year based on using it once a day for 3 minutes.
Low energy use light bulb
To get the most out of light bulbs shoppers should opt for energy saving bulbs which offer more light and less heat whilst consuming less energy. Shoppers can choose from compact fluorescent, halogen and LED light bulbs for a more energy efficient bulb however, in terms of brightness, LED lights will offer the most lumens per unit of energy.
