Smart Plug adapters from Power Move - what do you use them for?

Really interesting stuff @BeePee! 

How have you been doing in Power Move? Do you feel like having these features in your hone help you hit the targets?

Hi @Emmanuelle_OVO 

I think they generally help to reduce overall energy usage, however their direct impact on power move is probably minimal. Some plugs do turn on from 15:30 to 16:00, so they act as a reminder to boil the kettle or toast the teacakes before 16:00. I can generally see a small spike in demand in the 15:30 slot, and then a drop-off. We now tend to leave the TV off until around 18:30 for the local news, and again I can see the load increasing from then onwards.

I used to have the type of plugs that used a remote control handset to switch things on and off.

I then bought smart plugs which connect to my Wi-Fi router. These are controlled by using an app on your smartphone. They can be access remotely so long as you have an internet connection on your phone.

I had to go away for 6 weeks to look after a friend and his pets after his operation. By using the app to turn certain appliances on and off, I was more than able to reach the Power Move targets. One of the benefits of this is I can keep my home from getting too cold during the winter while I'm away. The plugs are 16 amp, so they are very safe. There are other things I use them for like certain things I need to charge up occasionally whilst away. So it's just as applicable for those who go on holiday and thus have the same usage all day long which would obviously include peak period 4-7.

I just have to mention this. Don't use them to turn off your Wi-Fi router unless you don't want to turn it on again while away :)  (there is actually a way around that too but I won't go into all that right now)

The smart plugs OVO sent me have been… Repurposed…

I’ve never plugged them in at all and will never plug them in, but they’re always close at hand in my backpack. As a volunteer with the fire service, you could say they come in rather handy as part of the talks I do. :)

And due to the unique way the fire service gets its funding, I 100% promise you that no taxpayer funds were spent on them because OVO paid for them instead! :D

I did try home automation years ago, but it was too clunky and I didn’t get on with it. ( X10, if anybody remembers it ? )

All I’ve got now are a few simple electromechanical 24h timers for the conservatory de-humidifier, decorative garden lights, and a water feature.

The vast majority of the comments in this group seem to be from people using Smart Tech to make life easier. Has anyone used them to significantly reduce their bills ?

Our biggest reductions in energy usage were when we replaced our old tumble drier with a new heat pump model, and our old gas boiler with a new condensing one. Also, we have a new oven and a new microwave, which are supposedly more efficient, but I can’t compare as I didn’t measure the old ones.

Looking at what we’ve got left I don’t see how we could easily reduce it much more. All our lights are LED, and we do like having our radios and TV stuff ready to run, so they are always on standby. Other devices that allways on are the Internet and computer stuff, a fridge and freezer. This ‘background’ peaks at about 120W, which costs us about 3p per hour, according to the IHD. ( I can’t view historic data, as I’ve still not got online access to my account. )

To reduce this ‘background usage’ this we are up againt the Law of Diminishing Returns, as any small saving we make is swamped by the Standing Charge, and it hardly seems worth the effort.

So, are most people using Smart Tech for convenience, or for lowering their bills ?

Interesting conversation starter @Buzby! 😊 

BeePee suggests they can help to reduce overall energy usage. I imagine those with smart plug adapters are already quite energy conscious, so are probably already doing what they can to reduce usage. So it would be hard to gauge a reduction in consumption. This of course is only my opinion, would be interesting to see what others think.