Cut your bills with web-controlled fridges

You could soon save money on your electricity bills by letting power companies turn your appliances off and on via the internet, as part of a major shake-up of how electricity is delivered to the public.

The Government hopes the measure will help power firms cope with periods of high demand on the national grid.

By signing up to cheaper ‘time of day tariffs’, residents would, for example, agree that their fridge-freezers can be switched off for a few minutes at peak times, or their washing machines be turned on to maximise use of cheap solar power during sunny periods.

To take part customers must have a smart meter installed to transmit usage data to the power company.

As part of the plans, energy regulator Ofgem is to allow tech companies like Google and Amazon to provide energy. It hopes the new tariffs will be commonplace by 2020.

The scheme, which begins next year, could save billions in bills, but will also raise concerns about the security of household devices connected to the internet. Hacks have revealed flaws in these products, often grouped together as the ‘Internet of Things’.

In July Durham chief constable Mike Barton warned about the increasing threat. He said that hackers won’t attack your fridge to find out how many yoghurts you have, but because it provides a “backdoor into your network”.

He called for a ratings system that shows how secure household appliances are.