AT a time when living costs remain high, finding clever ways to save money has never been more crucial – and a new tool is hoping to help us do this.
One thing is for certain – we can’t live without our appliances, be it our fridge freezer, washing machine, or tumble dryer.
However, depending on how we use them, we could be forking out an arm and a leg.
And Ofgem‘s energy price cap is rising by 10% from October 1, meaning millions of households on their energy supplier’s standard variable tariff will be stung with a £149 a year bill hike.
Under the new price cap, Which? estimates that a typical household will fork out £127 a year to use their dryer, £110 to run their fridge freezer, and £59 a year to run their washing from next month.
However, to help combat these high costs, electronics giant Samsung upgraded several home appliances to help households cut costs.
Customers who purchase a Samsung fridge, freezer, washer, dryer, or almost any other home appliance now have a new level of control over their energy usage and will be able to see exactly what they’re spending, too.
It was at the tech giant’s flagship store that I got to test this out for myself.
I discovered that those purchasing one of the brand’s Samsung washing machines – priced between £399 and £899 depending on the model – will be able to control their device from an app, and also see how much it is costing them.
As long as I put my washing in the machine and shut the door, I wouldn’t even need to touch a button.
Instead, like with all Samsung’s latest appliances, I could download the “Smart Things” app and control it from there.
If I was out all day but didn’t want my washing to start until I get home, I could set this up on the app, as well as the programme, temperature, and spin speed.
Samsung Smart Things is a “smart home” platform that allows users to connect, automate, and manage a wide range of compatible devices through an app.
These smart home devices aren’t exclusive to Samsung.
For example, Philips Hue has been a pioneer in helping those with older homes and traditional wiring transform their lighting into smart systems.
And Bosch, Miele and Aeg all have their own apps that enable users to control their appliances at the tap of a screen too.
However, what makes Samsung’s new Smart Things setup unique is its ability to track your whole home’s energy usage as well as calculate the cost of running your smart appliances.
How does it work?
Customers with a Samsung Smart Things account can now link it with their smart meter, too.
Once you’ve done this, your home’s energy usage is sent directly to the Smart Things app.
This means you can track your gas and electricity usage in pounds and pence by the hour, day, week, month and year.
Of course, many households will be aware that you can already do this with your energy supplier’s in-home display.
But if yours is broken, this is a great – and I’ll admit, more intuitive -alternative.
For example, the app can notify you which of your smart devices costs the most to run and even recommend changing your settings to cut your costs.
Those with Samsung appliances can also toggle a setting dubbed “AI Energy Mode,” which automatically turns their appliance into its most energy-efficient mode without them having to life a finger.
Of course, it’s naive to assume that this is accessible to everyone, as not all of us own Samsung appliances.
The company’s appliances aren’t cheap, and prices range from £399 up to £5,000 for its most expensive smart fridge freezer.
Regardless of this, a new partnership with British Gas could help those with or without Samsung appliances cut their bills this winter.
How can it help cut my bills?
And one of the great new things Samsung has announced is an industry-first partnership with British Gas to help customers save money on their appliances this winter.
Like many suppliers, British Gas has been rewarding customers for slashing their energy usage during peak times in recent months.
The supplier’s Peak Save scheme gives customers free energy credits for reducing their electricity usage during peak hours.
A separate scheme called Peak Save Sunday offers customers half-price electricity during periods of low demand on weekends.
While these schemes are free to sign up for, it’s easy to forget to make the necessary adjustments to maximise savings your savings.
British Gas usually emails customers ahead of an event, but if you didn’t notice the timings, like me, you risk forgetting to run your dishwasher at the off-peak time.
However, with Samsung’s latest partnership, customers who connect their British Gas account with the Smart Things app will not only receive notifications before an event but also be able to automate their smart appliances ahead of it.
It means users can ensure their devices operate during optimal times, allowing them to take full advantage of the savings on offer.
What is Peak Save Sundays?
BRITISH Gas' Peak Save scheme offers qualifying customers half-price electricity between 11am and 4pm each Sunday.
The scheme first launched in December 2022 but has been extended multiple times since.
British Gas said it has paid over £11million to more than 600,000 customers who have so far taken part in the scheme.
If you haven’t already, you can sign up for the money-saving scheme on the British Gas website by entering your full name, email address and customer reference number.
Once you’ve signed up, any discounted electricity is credited back to your account after you take part every week.
The credit appears as “PeakSave Credit” on your bill or online statement.
You can only sign up for the scheme if you have a smart meter that sends half-hourly meter readings.
Again, this is great for those with Samsung appliances but might be of limited use for those without.
At the moment, this partnership is only available to British Gas customers.
However, Samsung has not ruled out partnering with other UK energy suppliers in the future.
If you’re eager to use technology to determine exactly how much your appliances are costing to run, there are still several more affordable gadgets you can use.
What are the cheaper alternatives?
For example, if your appliances don’t have smart technology fitted inside, you can still track their usage with smart plugs.
These plug into a standard electrical socket and then you plug your appliance into them.
The smart plug connects to your home Wi-Fi network or your mobile via Bluetooth, enabling it to communicate with a corresponding mobile app.
Once connected, the smart plug monitors the energy consumption of the plugged-in appliance in real-time.
It tracks metrics such as power usage (in watts), energy consumption (in kilowatt-hours), and sometimes even the cost of the electricity used.
You can then remotely control the plug through the mobile app, turning the connected appliance on or off.
Some smart plugs also offer scheduling features, allowing you to automate when devices turn on or off.
Shoppers can buy these plugs from a number of major retailers online and in-store.
For example, a single Ikea‘s Tretakt smart plug costs just £6.
TP-Link’s Tapo smart plugs can also be picked up on Amazon for as little as £12.99.
We’ve previously reviewed the best smart plugs, so you don’t have to.
This incredible image shows the house of the future – using only smart tech.
