4 Smart household products to save you money this winter

The cost of living crisis is already impacting millions of Britons across the country, and concern is mounting over the price of energy bills this winter.

As of October 1, the UK’s energy regulator will raise its cap on bills to £3,549, up from £1,971. To combat these rising prices, the government has announced a £2,500 cap on household energy bills until 2024. This means on average households will pay £500 more than previous years.

One way to keep costs as low as possible is by investing in a range of smart technology products. 

If you thought smart household gadgets were all expensive pieces of high-tech that don’t offer much, think again. In fact, some smart products can help you be more aware of energy usage, spending and reduce your bill in the long run. 

Here are four of the best tech homeware to buy this autumn to help combat the cost of living crisis. 

If you don’t already own one, a smart meter is an absolute must. Installing one of these gadgets in your house provides you with real time information on energy usage, efficiency of appliances and the cost to run them. Knowing this information can encourage habit changes to ensure energy is used most efficiently and not wasted. 

A smart meter can also highlight cheaper energy tariffs as instead of estimated bills, consumers only pay for the energy they use.

The best part is that a smart meter is actually free to install, so it won’t cost any money upfront. As part of the government’s rollout programme, you can reach out to your energy supplier and ask them to install a meter if they haven’t already. 

Instead of keeping the heating on late into the night, invest in an electric blanket to keep warm as you sleep. 

There are two types of electric blankets on the market: underblankets that are placed over the mattress, and overblankets that can be added to the inside of a duvet case or placed on top like a normal blanket. 

Depending on the setting and time duration the blanket is on, this nifty gadget could save you a decent amount of money. Dreamland claims that its blankets cost as little as 1p per night when used for seven hours on the lowest setting. 

To get the most energy efficient heated blanket look for products that have temperature sensors, a timer feature and variable heat settings. 

Another handy household gadget is the smart plug—a plug that is connected to Wi-Fi and allows you to control connected gadgets directly from your phone. With a smart plug you can do everything from set timers on charging devices to check whether you did actually turn off the light before leaving the house.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory reported that smart plugs can save a household anywhere between 1 and 4.58 per cent of energy usage, equal to 500–1000 kilowatts a year. This smart tech also doubles up as a safety feature as connected devices can be activated remotely meaning you can switch lights on whilst on holiday to deter burglars. 

There are hundreds of smart plug variations online and they don’t have to cost much. Single packs come in at just over £10, whilst a multi-pack of 4 costs anywhere from £22 upwards. 

You may not think about what bulbs you have in your light sockets, but giving it a minute of thought could actually save you an impressive amount of money. 

Smart bulbs are just like ordinary light bulbs but can be controlled via an app on your mobile phone or tablet. Once connected, you can set the brightness and colour of the light. There’s also the option to set lighting timers and switch lights on and off with just a click of a button from your phone. 

This nifty gadget is particularly inexpensive (costing only a couple of pounds more than a usual bulb) and is surprisingly energy efficient. It uses far less heat than ordinary bulbs and lasts around 25 times longer. Research from Shell suggests that per year a smart bulb could reduce your energy bill by £35.

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