Kelly Negus’s smart meter helps her stay on top of her energy bills – so she can spend more on daughter Faye
KELLY Negus, from Surrey – with daughter Faye – monitors how much energy she’s using with a smart meter. In association with Smart Energy GB.
LIFE as a single mum is tough, especially on benefits. I enjoyed my job as a care manager but, eight years ago, I gave it up when I became too ill to work.
I suffer with a condition called cranial hypertension, which causes constant headaches. I also have arthritis in my back and legs, insomnia and sleep apnoea.
Every penny counted when I stopped work. But I still wanted to give my daughter Faye, eight, the best childhood. So I often went without to pay for things such as dance lessons.
Then, in winter 2017, our landlord sold our two-bedroom flat and we had to downsize to a one-bedroom, sharing a bed. There was no gas central heating so we relied on storage heaters to keep warm. I tried to cut back where I could – I put carpet on the stone floors and only switchedon the heaters, which I know guzzle electricity, when Faye got back from school.
Still, my electricity bill was £50 a week – more than half my weekly income. It was terrifying. I couldn’t afford baths for both Faye and me, so I’d drop her at school and then catch the bus to my mum’s for a shower. Mum lent me money when she could, but sometimes I was forced to use the local food bank. Desperate, I logged on to a price comparison website to find a cheaper energy tariff. I realise I must have been on a really costly one.
When I moved on to the new deal, I also had a smart meter installed – there was no extra charge and it was all quite simple.
I’d never heard of a smart meter, but if it was clever enough to help save me money, I was all for it. I placed the in-home display in the kitchen so I could work out how much I was spending on various appliances.
Seeing the cost in pennies per hour really focused my mind. The kettle is expensive to run so I am careful now to boil only the water I need. And I’m making sure that the washing machine is full before I put it on.
The one thing I’m still using just as much as ever is the oven. I love cooking, preparing every meal from scratch, and Faye enjoys baking. Often, as I can’t afford to go out, friends will pop round for a bacon sandwich at lunchtime.
In the evenings I’ll invite family and friends for spaghetti bolognese and, at weekends, a roast. Because I’m saving money elsewhere, I don’t have to worry so much about the cost.
Luckily the television is cheap – I couldn’t give up my EastEnders and true life crime series. And Faye loves watching Little Mix and Beyoncé videos on the iPad my Mum bought her so she can copy the dance moves.
Charging the iPad costs less than 1p an hour according to my in-home display, so I’ve no complaints there.
Since having the smart meter installed, the cost of my electricity has plunged from £50 a week to £15 a fortnight. I also pay my bills in advance online, saving me a lot of stress. I know I’m always on top of them rather than worrying about being faced with a huge energy bill and having to use the food bank yet again.
I’m currently on the council house waiting list and, hopefully, a two bedroom flat will come up soon. Faye and I can’t share a bedroom forever.
The first thing I’ll do when we move to our new place is get a smart meter fitted. It really has been my saviour over the past year or so, and I dread to think what my finances would have been like without it.
To find out more about getting a smart meter click .