The cost of energy efficiency

With the cold weather turning everyone's attention to mounting bills, many may be questioning whether smart monitors could be answer. Confused.com has rounded up some of the best deals for those looking at this option.

Scottish Power is running ‘Platinum Fixed Energy Jan 2014' which offers fixed prices, boiler care, an energy monitor and 25% off cavity wall insulation.  This is £265 more per year than their current best tariff for an average user.  Scottish Power state that its boiler cover is worth £150 and the monitor, £30. With the 25% off cavity wall insulation, this will roughly equate to the extra charges, however the exit penalties  are £50 for those not wanting to stay until its end date (31st Jan 2014)

EDF's EcoManager tariff offers an Ecomanager appliance controller worth £70 which they've estimated could save £166 per year, plus customers will get an additional bonus of £50 if they sign up before the 28th November.  This tariff is £128 more expensive than their best tariff, and, again, there's a £50 exit fee for those who don't stay for at least 18 months.

Lisa Greenfield, energy analyst at Confused.com says:  "It's confusing with all these different offerings on the market and it's important to remember that an energy monitor on its own won't save any money, they're purely a tool to make households more aware of their energy usage.  It's the modern day equivalent of a Dad shouting ‘turn the lights off!' and households won't see the savings unless they are willing to change their behaviour.  It's important they consider what's best for their own personal circumstances when choosing one of these ‘energy efficient tariffs' and the best way to do so is to use an accredited site like Confused.com to compare them.  My advice would be to consider how much it's going to cost per month before looking at additional features."