How does your new meter work?
Your new smart meter connects wirelessly to
both CitizEn Energy customer services and
your new In Home Display (IHD). The IHD sits
in your home and allows you to see in real
time how much energy you are using.
What are the benefits of smart meters?
• Manage your energy use. You can see how
much energy you are using in your home
and approximately how much it is costing
you in pence per unit.
• Make savings. Once you identify what the
energy guzzling appliances in your home are,
you can take steps to reduce how much they
are costing you by using them more efficiently.
• No more estimated bills. Your smart meter
is connected wirelessly to CitizEn Energy
giving us up to date, accurate meter
readings without you having to do a thing.
Caring for your IHD
• To avoid damage, do not use any sharp
objects on the display.
• Do not let your IHD near water or any other
liquid. Keep it away from heat-generating
sources like heaters or areas with high
moisture like bathrooms.
• Only use the power pack and cable
supplied with your IHD.
• Excessive impact or shock may damage
the IHD so be careful not to drop it or give it
any hard knocks. If the display is damaged
avoid touching the liquid crystals contained
in it. Contact the CitizEn Energy team and
we’ll arrange for a replacement IHD to be
sent to you.
How do I get my IHD working?
Don’t worry! Our meter installer will fit your
meter and IHD at the same time. The installer
will talk to you about your new IHD and advise
you of the best place for it to sit.
Smart meter data collection
Your smart meter records your energy usage
more often than a ‘traditional’ meter could.
When we supply you through a smart meter, we
will automatically take daily meter reads unless
you tell us not to. You can choose to opt-out
of daily meter reads by calling free on 0800
953 0165 or by emailing customer.service@
citizenenergyuk.co.uk.After this we will
normally only take one meter read each month.
Meter reads are taken so we can:
• Tailor the energy efficiency advice and
guidance that we give to you
• Ensure that your bills are as accurate as possible
• Develop new tariffs and products in the future
that better suit your individual needs (but
we will only ever contact you for marketing
purposes if we have your consent)
• Help third party partners achieve their social
and environmental aims and for academic
research.
Increasing how often we take meter reads will
help us better achieve the outcomes listed
above. Please get in touch if you’re happy for us
to take half-hourly meter reads. Remember that
you can change your mind regarding increased
reads at any time. We can also provide you with
up to two years’ worth of your consumption
data, free of charge if you request it. You’ll need
to tell us in advance if you would like to receive
consumption data and we’ll provide it as soon
as we reasonably can.
1. Welcome to your smart meter 2. How to make your home more energy efficient
Being smart with how you use your energy
can help make a big difference to your bills
and the environment. Here at CitizEn Energy
we can offer advice to make your home more
energy efficient. By making a few small,
simple changes around your home you can
reduce your energy consumption and quickly
start saving money.
Five simple energy efficiency tips
1. Turn the heating down a bit. When you
reduce your thermostat by just 1°C, you
could save around £85 - £90 and 310kg -
360kg carbon dioxide per year.
2. You can save around £30 a year just by
remembering to turn your appliances off
standby mode.
3. Turn your lights off when you’re not using
them. If you switch a light off for just a
few seconds, you will save more energy
than it takes for the light to start up again,
regardless of the type of light. This could
save you around £15 on your annual
energy bills.
4. Drying clothes outdoors on a washing line
or indoors on a rack costs nothing and uses
no energy so it is the ideal way to dry your
clothes. If you need to use a tumble dryer,
choose one with a good energy rating which
will help to keep your energy bill down as
much as possible.
5. Cut back your washing machine use by just
one cycle per week and save £5 a year on
energy and a further £8 a year on metered
water bills.
These calculations are an indication of the
amounts you could save on fuel bills and CO2
by making energy efficiency improvements.
These figures are either calculated using
models or are based upon evidence of field
trials of products. The amount of money that
can be saved will differ from household to
household.
Source: The Energy Saving Trust
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Financial help
There may be financial help available for you
to improve the energy efficiency of your home
and make it warmer, more comfortable and
cheaper to run.
If you live in Southampton or Hampshire you
can contact the Environment Centre (tEC), a
local charity, on 0800 804 8601 or visit
www.environmentcentre.com for advice and
information - let them know CitizEn Energy put
you in touch.
If you live outside of Southampton and
Hampshire you can contact your local
authority, or the Energy Saving Trust to check
what help is available in your area.
The Energy Saving Trust
The Energy Saving Trust provides independent,
free, expert advice to help you save energy and
reduce your bills plus offers energy saving tips
and help finding energy grants.
• Call 0300 123 1234 (national rate line)
• Visit: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
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