The five smart gadgets that could help reduce your household bills

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Smart homes, properties where all of the devices inside are connected through the internet, are becoming increasingly popular.

Most gadgets can be controlled by a main monitor or your smart phone making it easy to manage your home on-the-go.

As well as being able to adjust your heating before you arrive home, other clever inventions allow homeowners to sync their kettle or coffee machine, radio and lights to switch on at certain times of the day. Smart, eh?

It’s easy to see why such devices are popular. Not only do they make life easier, they can help reduce household bills.

Financial experts at thinkmoney claim turning the heating down by one degree below your usual temperature can save you a huge £80 per year, while leaving five plugs on every day will see your electricity bill shoot up to £491 per year.

The market’s flooded with smart devices, making shopping for the ones best suited to you a little tricky.

We recommend starting with a smart plugs. Designed to convert any appliance into a smart device, it’s a great entry point into the world of smart home tech.

While others, who may have started transitioning their humble abode into a smart home, may be looking for other gadgets to get even more high tech.

We have found a selection of smart gadgets to suit everyone’s budgets and needs.

Shop the five best smart gadgets

WiFi Smart Plug | £16.99 (Was £34.99)

These smart plugs allow you to control your appliances, using wifi, through voice commands made using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, as well as through the free SmartLife app on your phone or tablet.

Users can set up a scheduled timer when they want to control their devices, especially when they’re not at home, which makes for a more cost-effective household.

Customers have praised the plugs for being easy to set up, although some noticed they can be quite large and take over the other socket. One review read: “Have just received my second pair of these plugs and I am delighted with them. I found them easy to set up after splitting the broadband channels (which was simple following the instructions).

“Other reviewers have commenting on the size of the units and the fact that they block the adjacent socket but this depends on the socket itself, I don’t have that problem.”

Echo Show 5 | £49.99 (Was £79.99)

An Echo Show ticks all the boxes, as it has numerous functions to make lightwork of turning your home into a digitally-led space.

The Echo Show boasts a 5.5 inch smart display screen, which allows your to make video and voice calls handsfree, as well as watch your favourite film and TV programmes, listen to songs, and browse recipes with ease.

Its voice control is compatible with all devices, can be connected to other devices in your household for room-to-room calling and alerts, while the personalised clock feature allows you to create routines to suit your needs.

Hive Active Heating and Hot Water Thermostat | £129 (Was £179)

For those who want to have more control over the heating and hot water thermosat, the Hive Active is for you.

It can be programmed to accommodate for six daily time slots, controlled via text, which is ideal when you are not home or on holiday, and also has a heating boost, as well as a holiday mode setting, to ensure your home is at the best temperature for when you return home.

This gadget has been hailed a “must for the modern home” by shoppers, with over 70% worth of shoppers rating it five stars.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat | £159.99 (Was £219.99)

Google Nest Learning Thermostat allows you to control up to 20 thermostats per household.

Not only can you change the temperature from your smartphone, it automatically adjusts itself to your preferred room temperature, the home insulation and the temperature outside for your comfort.

However, the built-in sensors monitor the activity in your home, and will not heat up if it detects the house is empty.

Philips Hue White Smart Bulb | £24 (Was £24.99)

Philips’ White Smart Bulbs are quick and easy to set up. All you have to do is screw in the bulb, connect it to the Philips Hue bluetooth app to be able to control from your smartphone or other device.

This set also activates on voice commands, and also features a dimming option for those who do not want a bright light, or a dark room.