Red alert ... put washing on the line not in a tumble dryer

MOTHER-OF-TWO Emma Bramwell has cut her electricity bills after fitting a smart meter showed her just how expensive it is to use a tumble dryer.

Emma, 40, from Sheffield in South Yorkshire, now hangs out her washing on a line whenever possible.

The Government wants all homes in Britain to have a device to read meters automatically. It means customers can see exactly how much energy they are using at any time using a separate monitor linked to the smart meter.

The £12 billion initiative is being driven by Smart Energy GB, a Government- backed independent body set up by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Savings are not expected to be massive – but a useful £26 per household each year.

Emma had a smart meter installed in March after asking her supplier British Gas. The university library assistant, married to warehouse worker Craig, 42, with whom she has two children Ethan, 13, and Adam, 9, says: ‘Being able to see how much energy is being used around the home is helping us be more aware of where the money goes on our gas and electric bills.

‘I have discovered the tumble drier sets a red light glowing on the monitor showing more energy is being used than usual – and this means I now hang the clothes outside on the washing line. I also only put enough water in the kettle for a cup or two rather than filling it up – as this takes much longer to boil and so wastes money.’

There is no charge for having a smart meter installed – though as taxpayers each household indirectly pays £200 for them. The initiative will take five years to roll out so you might not immediately get one when asking your energy supplier.

In the meantime, plenty of other gadgets can save cash – and offer good value for money.

The biggest saver can be putting thermostat valves on each radiator to control heating in each room. It costs £30 a radiator but can save £100 a year.

Eco-friendly light bulbs are also a great way of cutting energy bills.

Light-emitting diode (LED) lights are more expensive than halogens, but use up less than half the energy. Energy saving bulbs can knock £5 a year off your bills.

Consider more unusual ideas, such as ‘radiator boosters’ for £25 that sit on top of an existing unit and circulate lost heat – complemented by foil reflectors behind the radiator.