There are hundreds of green gadgets for sale, all promising to save you a bundle on your energy bills, but are they really worth the money? Here are 7 energy saving gadgets that are worth paying for.
As energy prices creep up and winter takes hold it's likely you're looking to save every watt of energy possible.
But once you’ve tackled tasks like changing to a cheaper energy tariff, blocking draughts and insulating your home, you may be left wondering what else you can do to save money.
There are many energy saving gadgets on the market promising further savings but not all give you value for money.
Here are 7 energy saving gadgets that really can help you save - they promise to earn their money back and more!
1. Standby Buster
Recommended by the Energy Saving Trust, the Standby Buster plug lets you switch off any electrical appliance left on standby using a remote control.
You can control up to 4 plugs with each remote control, so it's possible to set them up in different rooms throughout the house. This can be especially handy for families with several TVs and game consoles as it makes it easy for you to check that nothing is drawing power unnecessarily before turning in for the night.
The Standby Buster starter pack comprising one remote control and one plug is available for approx. £7 - £10 and additional plugs are available for approx. £7.
According to Which? a Standby Buster plug could save you up to £40 a year on electricity so it would only take 2-3 months for your to make the money back and start seeing the saving.
2. Water Tank Jackets
If you have a water tank, wrapping it in a jacket will cut the amount of energy it takes to keep your hot water hot. It's estimated that this alone can cut heat loss by anything up to 75% so the potential for savings is considerable.
You can buy a water tank jacket for approx. £10 and it could save you up to £20 a year, so you'll earn your money back within 6 months.
3. Heatkeeper radiator insulation panels
Heatkeeper radiator insulation panels are designed as a quick way to boost the efficiency of your radiators.
Easy to install, the panels slot behind radiators and reflect the heat back into the room, so you can run them on a lower temperature setting without feeling cold.
A pack of 5 panels (enough for 2 - 3 standard sized radiators) will set you back approx. £20. If you fit them throughout your home they promise savings of up to 30% on your heating costs.
You can use the Heatkeeper Savings Calculator to find out exactly how much you could expect to save.
4. ECO kettle
One of the better known gadgets on our list, the Eco Kettle uses 31% less electricity to boil water compared to a standard kettle.
It works by boiling exactly the amount of water you need and no more thus saving you money. It does this by holding cold water in an upper chamber before allowing you to release exactly how much water you need to boil into the lower chamber.
The Eco Kettle is supported by the Energy Saving Trust and you can get your hands on one for approx. £20, although you may pay up to £50 for the latest version.
Exactly how much you could save will vary hugely on how often you use your kettle - so if you enjoy several cups of tea or coffee a day you’ll soon make your money back.
5. Battery Wizard recharger
The Battery Wizard makes our list for the potential it has to save you money around the house.
It can be used to recharge standard batteries up to 10 times each.
The manufacturer estimates it costs as little as 1p to recharge a set of batteries. So considering you can pick up a Battery Wizard for approx. £10 you’ll soon make your money back.
6. Eco Button
Winner of the Environment and Energy Award for the 2009 Energy Product of the year, the Eco Button is a power saving device for your computer.
At the push of a button it will switch your computer to ‘energy saving’ mode - great when you need to pop away from the computer to make a coffee or take a telephone call.
To switch your PC back on, you simply move your mouse or push any button on your keyboard.
The Eco Button costs approx. £5 - £10 and could save you up to £40 a year. So, depending on how much you use your computer, it could pay for itself within 2 - 3 months.
As an added bonus the Eco Button will tell you exactly how much energy and money you have save each time you use it. It also gives you a running total so you know when you saved enough to pay for the button itself.
7. BioBulb
The BioBulb promises not only to save you money, but also to bring the sunshine indoors.
They use 75% less energy than a standard bulb so will help you to save on your energy bill – however it makes our list is because of its added value.
BioBulbs emit three times as many lumens (a way of measuring natural light) as a standard energy saving bulb and give off the closest replication of sunlight possible. This means they help to brighten your mood in the long winter months as well as your rooms.
A Bio Bulb costs around £10, last for up to 10,000 hours and are available in a range of strengths.
Energy saving freebies:
Here's a bonus freebies worth getting to help you save energy.
Energy monitors – free from most energy companies
Energy monitors may not save you any money or energy directly; however they will make you more aware of how much you use on a day to day basis and have been found to help people cut down the amount of energy they use.
Many energy suppliers give energy monitors to their customers free of charge so it's worth checking and claiming one if you can.
If you can’t get hold of a free energy saving monitor you can purchase one for approx. £20.
