Using a smart meter’s in-home display to see usage in near-real time, in pounds and pence, has shown to be a motivating factor when making small changes to households' energy habits. The survey by Smart Energy GB also found that those with smart meters were 23 per cent more likely to have adjusted their energy habits.
Energy-saving tactics include turning off unused lights (49 per cent), turning devices off at the socket (39 per cent) and disconnecting phone chargers at the mains (37 per cent). Whether these methods are effective at saving money is questionable, as the devices mentioned typically consume only small amounts of power.
The poll revealed that bill payers are now thinking about their energy usage up to twice a day, whereas previously it wasn’t being considered at all during the summer months.
Those who have adjusted their energy habits for summer say they’ve reduced their bills by an average of £22.09 per month – a potential annual saving...