Introducing the Samsung SmartThings Energy App

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I was recently invited to the Samsung Head Offices for a tour of their connected home. I was there to explore the future of energy, environmental and money savings in a connected world and to learn more about SmartThings Energy within the wider SmartThings ecosystem app from Samsung.

Prior to the visit I had already connected my smart electricity meter to my free SmartThings Energy app. I now have two months’ worth of energy usage and spending on my phone to share with you in this post. Until downloading the app I wasn’t able to get as much detailed information about my energy usage, my smart meter isn’t very user friendly making it difficult to understand and it sits in the corner of the kitchen hidden away. I feel like the app has given me control at all times to understand what we are using, giving control and more importantly how much we are spending every day, week and month.

The cost of living crisis means uncertain times for much of our essential spending, from food to fuel to energy bills. Samsung SmartThings Energy is helping customers gain greater certainty about their energy bill expenditure, empowering and enabling them to take control of their household budgeting to mitigate future bill shock.

Full disclaimer, I am a Samsung fan and have been for more than ten years. I used to work closely with the brand in my previous corporate life at EE and have ALWAYS had Samsung phones, since the first Galaxy phone was released, my first ever smart phone! I have kept the brand affinity going at home with Samsung TVs, sound systems, fridge freezer and a microwave.

How I Use My Samsung SmartThings Energy App

I set up my app in June 2022 and connected my smart meter immediately. It was a simple search for my smart meter brand, and it connected with the press of a button. I then custom added the price I am paying per KWH of electricity taken from my energy bill.

From that point forward data was collected and analysed in the app (not historical data unfortunately). You can also use SmartThings Energy to see individual device usage and cost to run on compatible Samsung connected devices. Sadly, this was not something I could try out as my existing devices, such as TV and fridge aren’t connected devices.

Weekly, Monthly and Daily Usage and Cost

I like to check my weekly and daily usage on a regular basis. I can see for example that the week of 10^th to 16^th July was a higher energy usage week at 39 KWH and a cost of £12.96. My usage is understandably higher in weeks where I have my children compared to weeks where they are not with me. I am encouraged to see that my focus on energy saving means that my usage and spending on energy is going down over time.

I can also see from the daily graph on the app that my hourly usage spikes in certain places, on 17^th July from 8 to 9am (when I was cooking pancakes on the induction hob), 1 to 2pm (when I was cooking lunch) and again later at night (when everyone was either watching the TV, using laptops or charging phones). During these times we can then assess what we use in those hours to try to reduce the energy usage.

This is really useful information to enable you make informed decisions about what you need to change in your home to save money.

Another useful piece of analysis is this four-weekly average of energy usage. Sundays are the highest day for energy usage, this makes sense as its normally the day when we are in the house for the longest. For example, this is when I’ll generally properly cook a meal, always put a wash on and have a tidy up before the week begins.

Setting a monthly Energy Target

I find this energy target tool particularly useful. SmartThings Energy lets me set a budget and I will then be notified if I am going over, helping me to be more aware of my energy usage and make positive energy choices to use less in the home.

This snapshot was taken on the 19^th July and the app records information on a real time basis. I have used 56.4% of my energy target for the month, and we are 61% of the way through the month. I am on track to come in under my monthly target!! (For your information, I am with Octopus Energy and have a four-bed semi-detached house if you wish to compare your energy usage to mine)

One final useful feature of the SmartThings Energy app is that it is supported by Uswitch, with the ability to share recommended tariffs direct to customers’ smartphones (when prices stabilise, and deals open up again). I can’t wait for the market to open up again and to have the ability to switch between energy firms if you know that you are not getting a great deal with your current provider.

My Energy Saving Top Tips in the Summer months

I wanted to share my top tips for using less energy and saving money on your bills- these are very relevant to the summer and hotter months. These are each small changes, but they can add up to big savings if you change your routine to follow these energy saving methods.

• Use the economy mode on your washing machine, dish washer and tumble dryer.
• Switch to low energy light bulbs.
• Use the slow cooker rather than microwave, oven or induction hob.
• Let your hair dry naturally, hair dryers are greedy with energy.
• Boil your kettle only with water for one cup, or for the number you are making.
• Switch off all appliances on standby.
• Shower for four/five minutes only, use a shower timer.
• Switch off lights in rooms not being used, nag your children to do the same.
• Unplug phones, laptops and tablets once fully charged.

Download the free SmartThings Energy app from Samsung now to access your energy information from your electricity smart meter and sync any connected devices you have in your home. The app is open to most popular branded devices and is compatible across Android and iOS.

This is a collaborative post with Samsung.