Top Apps and Software to Help You Be More Energy Efficient

The average US household uses 897 kWh per month or 10,766 kWh per year. Compare that to the global average of 3,500 kWh and you’ll see that the US is one of the largest consumers of energy in the world. We need energy to power our everyday lives, but unless we commit to reducing our energy consumption, the world’s natural resources will become further depleted.

Industry experts predict that oil supplies will run out within 40 years. Right now, renewable energy only accounts for 15% of electricity in the US and 2.7% of electricity in the UK. Renewable energy is growing and governments are slowly waking up to the realization they must invest more money in renewables, but in the meantime, there is plenty we can do to conserve energy.

Technology is our friend on the journey towards energy efficiency. There are numerous apps that make life easier. Trading apps help us navigate the financial markets and social media apps let us keep up with friends on the go. Here is a list of energy saving apps to boost your family’s energy efficiency, so you can do your bit to save the environment.

Smart Homes

Smart Home energy management devices are the latest must-have tech products for families who want to save time and money. Smart thermostats let you adjust your home’s temperature without lifting a finger and if you invest in a Nest Learning Thermostat, you can save energy when you are away from home. Check out the EnergyHub Thermostat and Ecobee Smart Thermostat. Apps for all three are available in the Google Play and iTunes store.

Setting up a smart home energy management system could save you up to 60% on your energy bill.

Energy Cost Calculator

The Energy Cost Calculator is available for download from the Apple Store. This nifty little app tells you exactly how much it costs to leave your TV on standby all night or how much energy you are wasting by not switching off the landing light. Use the app to calculate water and fuel costs and scare the kids into switching things off when they leave a room.

Energy Tracker

The Energy Tracker app is available for Apple devices. It records how much energy you consume and provides colourful graphs to help you digest this information more easily. All you have to do is upload your meter readings and the app does the rest. The app also tells you how much you could save if you cut your energy consumption.

Joulebug

The Joulebug app turns energy saving into a fun game for the whole family. Download the app from the Google Play store or Apple iTunes and share it with your family. The app gives you tips to save energy and if you make savings, you can earn trophies to reward your hard work.

iRecycle

Dumping household trash in a landfill is bad for the environment, yet many of us routinely do it to save time. The iRecycle app for Apple and Android tells you exactly where your local recycling facility is, so you can get rid of your unwanted items in a more energy efficient manner.

Alert Me

The Alert Me energy saving app lets you compare your energy consumption with that of your neighbors. Discover how much you can save compared to other households. It might just shame you into turning lights off or switching off PCs at the wall.

Energy Monitor Pro

Similar to smart homes devices, this innovative app allows you to monitor and control your energy use from your mobile device, meaning you can ultimately cut down on energy bill costs with greater ease. It also helps electricity providers to increase their overall efficiency.

Kill-Ur-Watts

This is another great app for enabling you to take control of your energy usage. Kill-Ur-Watts tracks the amount of energy you are burning up and formulates strategies to help you reduce this, ultimately saving you a lot of the legwork. It is also completely free, which is undoubtedly an attractive bonus.

Green Outlet

Exceeding in innovation and ease of use, Green Outlet helps users to calculate which appliances in their house are using up the most energy. They can monitor their use far easier, and either replace to most inefficient appliances or use them much less.

Light Bulb Finder

Another great free app to explore is Light Bulb Finder, which gathers information about the bulbs you require in your home. Once this is complete, the app will then find out which stores near you stock the most energy efficient light bulb options for your home, and will give you a recommendation for the best bulbs to use based on cost effectiveness and environmental impact.

FuelGood

The FuelGood app lets you gauge your fuel efficiency when driving, meaning that you can save up to 1/6 of your fuel expenditure per year. It does this through using GPS technology to track your journeys and offering driving tips to help encourage efficient driving.

Water Use Calculator

For those curious about how much energy they are frittering away through leaving taps on too long, this app is ideal. It lets you monitor exactly how energy you are using every time you use something which dispenses water in the home (including dishwashers and showers). It also provides tips on how to reduce water consumption.

Eco Charger

For those who leave their phone on charge for far too long, this is the ideal app. Eco Charger causes any mobile device on which it is installed to vibrate obnoxiously until it is unplugged, allowing users to save the energy they would otherwise waste ‘charging’ a fully charged phone.

My Earth

This is more of a general app which allows you to track a number of different areas of energy usage, including electricity, food and travel, amongst others. It also gives you activities to check off, and serves as an effective visualiser for overall energy consumption.

These are just some of the many apps which can help you to become more energy efficient. With technology constantly progressing at such an unprecedented rate, there are bound to be more innovations in the field of energy efficiency apps, which will further help you to control your energy use with ease.

Image credit: pixabay

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About Rinkesh

A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitable planet, do remember that there really is no 'Planet B' in this whole universe.