The Government says you can knock £100 off your annual energy bill by taking advice from the ‘virtual assistant’ Alexa.
The Wi-Fi-enabled helper typically manages tasks such as playing music and helping with shopping lists.
The user makes voice commands to a hand-sized box that responds to your queries and can store information.
I spoke to Alexa through a £90 Echo Show device made by online retailer Amazon. She is one of several virtual assistants on the market — including Siri by Apple and Google Assistant.
Alexa, however, is the first to sign up to the state-sponsored energy savings tips.
Money Mail’s Toby Walne (pictured) testing out an Alexa that is supposed to give energy saving tips
I had so far resisted the temptation to let a Big Brother monitor into my home, but I relented because Alexa is now also offering to save me money.
The set up is straightforward, though it does require an online Amazon account. The newly created Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is behind the Alexa collaboration.
It says: ‘Anyone asking Alexa how to reduce their energy bill will now receive the latest Government advice on preparing their home for winter and using less energy in the long-term — which could save at least £100 a year.’
It’s now up to me to ask Alexa how…
She warms me up with a dance
‘Alexa. Can you knock a few quid off my heating bill?’ She takes a moment to ponder this request. ‘Sorry, I’m not sure.’ Perhaps I should rephrase it. ‘Alexa, how can I save money on my energy bill?’
Response: ‘Hmm. I have a few skills that can help. Do you mean Energy 106?’ I have no idea what she is talking about — but let’s give it a go. ‘Yes.’
Then music starts blaring, with someone singing out racy lyrics: ‘Girl, I can feel your body rock.’ The Echo display reads: ‘You’re listening to Energy 106. Your favourite dance radio station.’ The track is Beauty And A Beat by Justin Bieber.
Maybe the Government believes dancing will keep me warm. It sounds a good idea — but it’s far too much for my ears, so I ask Alexa to ‘turn Bieber off’.
Annoying ‘yes’ for EVERY tip
Let’s ask for help another way. ‘Alexa, please give me energy-saving tips.’
She seems to finally understand what I want and gives a 30-second monologue: ‘Install a programmable thermostat, let dishes air-dry, turn off appliances and lights… according to the U.S. Department of Energy.’
The usual obvious advice — but why must Americans be telling me and not my own Government?
I call the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to see if I can extract better advice out of Alexa.
The person on the ‘Find ways to save energy in your home’ hotline (0800 098 7950) tells me I must use specific phrasing to get her words of wisdom.
I must say to Alexa, word for word: ‘Give me some energy saving tips’, ‘How can I reduce my energy bill?’, ‘Give me tips to get ready for winter’ or ‘Give me tips to conserve energy’.
It does not matter which of these four sentences are used — the response is exactly the same: ‘Hello and welcome to “It All Adds Up” energy saving tips.
‘There are lots of things you can do at home to reduce the amount of energy you use and save money with the help of gov.uk/save energy. If you would like to hear the tips just say “Get ready for winter” or “Energy conservation”.’
I say ‘Get ready for winter’ but Alexa remains mute and the Echo screen just shows an It All Adds Up logo. It seems to be a computer glitch. A couple of minutes later I start again and Alexa suddenly wakes up.
At the prompt ‘Get ready for winter’, Alexa drones on for three-and-a-half minutes with a total of eight tips.
But I must listen to each one all the way through before moving to the next, obediently saying ‘Yes’ to continue. ‘Would you like to hear a tip?’ ‘Yes,’ I say.
‘Draft proofing is one of the cheapest and most effective actions you can take to stop or prevent heat escaping and reduce your energy bills.’
Having been informed that windows are one of the worst culprits, Alexa suggests I buy window film from a hardware shop and install it myself or use a ‘professional’ to save £50 a year.
‘Another tip?’ ‘Yes.’
‘Bleeding radiators makes your home warmer.’ Again, there’s no real practical advice from Alexa on how to do this.
‘Another tip?’ ‘Yes.’
‘If you have a combi boiler its efficiency can be improved by reducing the flow temperature to 60 degrees.’
‘Another tip?’ ‘Yes.’
‘An annual service helps keep your boiler running safely.’
I’m starting to get irritated with what seem like fairly obvious tips.
Alexa goes on to tell me that a smart meter provides me with near-real-time information about how much energy I’m using.
And if I have a heating system with a separate hot water cylinder I can turn down the temperature, while smart thermostats and heating controls connected to the internet allow for more functionality.
If you have a hot water tank you can invest in a hot water cylinder jacket.
Really? Is that the best the Government can offer for this new initiative? I learnt nothing and the only cash saving mentioned is £50 from insulating — but no details of how!
When I did my own research I found a window film kit may cost £12. The film is cut to size and tightly fitted using a hair dryer.
Perhaps I will have more success asking about ‘energy conservation’. This time Alexa presents me with six tips — although, again, I must hear each one before agreeing to the next in another three-and-a-half-minute soliloquy.
I learn that I could shorten showers to four minutes to save £40, avoid under or over-loading a tumble drier for £50, install an energy-efficient shower head that reduces the amount of water used for £40, unplug electricals on standby for £50, reduce the washing machine temperature from 40 to 30 degrees for £20 and, finally, put in new energy-efficient LED light bulbs to save myself £40 a year.
Oddly enough, these savings add up to £240 not £100 — though the cost of installation and necessary new gadgets is not included.
Money Mail’s Toby Walne concluded that when it comes to hands-on practical help there is no substitute for real people
Was IT of any help?
Alexa was a revelation — playing music while I prepped dinner, helping to solve tough crossword puzzles and offering an accurate weather forecast.
But as a heating bill savings expert? She left me sucking eggs. Would I know about improving the efficiency of my boiler by reducing the flow temperature and thus saving money? No. Did Alexa tell me any more about how to go about it? Sadly not.
But if it stirs me and others into action to go off and research energy-saving options ourselves, then it could still be deemed a success. If nothing else, we are reminded to switch baths for showers, draw curtains to keep the cold out at dusk and shut doors on rooms we don’t use.
I appreciate Alexa’s advice, but when it comes to hands-on practical help there is no substitute for real people — and investing in face-to-face support rather than technology would be taxpayer money better spent.
For further details of the It All Adds Up campaign, including how vulnerable people can claim a £150 Warm Home Discount, visit: help forhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/ energy-saving-advice.
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