Halifax homeowners can reduce energy use with British Gas

Carl Burrow, a Smart Energy Expert at British Gas, installing smart meters in homes across Leeds, told us: “Visiting customers’ homes across Leeds, I’ve been asked all kinds of interesting and unusual questions over the years!

“Most recently, I’ve been struck by the number of people who want to cut the amount of energy they use at home.

“It’s great to see more people thinking about their environmental impact, the amount of energy they are using and how they can reduce it.

“The good news is that there are some easy energy saving activities that can start having an impact almost immediately.”

What simple things can I do straight away?

“Leaving the TV on standby when you’re not using it uses more than 100kWh over the course of a year – that’s more than £15 worth of electricity wasted, so switch it off.

“And try not using a tumble dryer when you could hang the washing out. Every time you turn the dryer on, it uses around 2.5kWh.

“If a family was to hang their washing on the line three times a week instead of dumping it in the dryer, they could save nearly £14 worth of electricity, just in the 13 weeks of summer.

“The oven is one of our most energy intensive appliances, but if you can cook your meals on the hob or in the microwave instead, you could save nearly £114 over the course of the year.”

How can I keep an eye on my energy use?

“Another great first step for those wanting to reduce their energy use is to get smart meters.

“They’re installed for free by Smart Energy Experts like me and come with a smart energy monitor, which tracks your energy use in pounds and pence, so you know what you’re spending.

“It means you can monitor how much gas and electricity is being used in your home, making it easier to spot any excessive energy consumption. Our customers with smart meters use less energy, which typically saves them around £34 a year.

“When you get your meters fitted, we’ll also provide personalised advice on how you can be more energy efficient to give you a kick start! The whole thing is usually done and dusted within a couple of hours.

“What’s more, smart meters automatically send us your meter readings – that’s one less thing for you to worry about!”

How can I get the whole family involved?

“Smart meters are also a great way of getting the kids engaged. We’ve even spoken to customers who have turned energy saving into a game, where the children are tasked with turning off appliances that use the most energy.

“We’ve installed over six million smart meters in homes across the country, and many of our customers say they have changed their energy habits since getting smart meters.

“Like Jagjit and his family in Yorkshire.

They live in a three-bedroom semi and didn’t think too much about how much energy they used until they got smart meters fitted.

“They had no way of monitoring their energy spend, so only had a rough idea of how it went up and down in summer and winter.

“When they had their meters installed, my engineer colleague explained to Jagjit how he could set targets, monitor his spending, and how he could get more in-depth information on our British Gas app.

“It was a real eyeopener for Jagjit to be able to see how much he was spending on energy every day. It’s even prompted him to get solar panels and LED light bulbs installed.

“Jagjit told me: ‘It kicked off a lot of changes in our house. We’re saving so much money now. I wish we had this ten years ago!’”

Join the millions of people already enjoying the benefits of smart meters. To find out more or to book a smart meter installation with your local Smart Energy Expert, visit www.britishgas.co.uk/smart.