If you’re feeling the pinch of the cost of … everything going up, you’re not alone! Now is the time to make the most of the dashboard and use Energy Local to save yourself some money and “Make energy work for you”.
This is the Energy Local Dashboard:
(Please note: the dashboard is specifically for Energy Local members)
To help you understand more about your electricity use, and help you save as much money as possible, the Dashboard provides information about:
• the best times to use electricity in your home
• details of your current, and previous, month’s electricity consumption, and how much that cost
• and how the members of your Energy Local Club are doing as a group at taking advantage of the cheaper, local renewable generation as well as the cheaper midday and overnight electricity prices.
Accessing the Dashboard from your smartphone, computer or tablet, you will know immediately whether now is a good time to use electricity in your household. The Dashboard takes into consideration how much local renewable is generating along with the current demand for power in your Energy Local Club to help you determine when will be the cheapest time to use electricity.
There is a forecast too, that can predict whether cheaper, renewable power is likely to generate in the next day, so you can schedule your demand for when the renewables are available and make use of the lower cost electricity. To help you manage when you use power, the Dashboard enables you to schedule a wide range of devices that can control many items in your household. For instance, if you need your washing machine finished by 7am, ready to hang your clothes out on the line, and your machine’s cycle takes three hours, you can use the Dashboard’s smart scheduler to find the best time to run your washing machine when power is cheapest and demand is lowest.
The Dashboard ensures that the washing machine makes use of the cheapest power possible through the demand shaper that is built into to its scheduler. As there is only so much cheap, renewable power to go round, the shaper takes into account the demand of the whole Club and runs the machine during a period of low demand. Making sure everybody can get as much cheap power as possible.
To help maximise this further, the smart scheduler has the option ‘OK to interrupt’. This breaks up the run period over the best possible half-hour intervals to use power. This is ideal if you are charging an E-bike’s battery, for example your washing machine and tumble dryer, electric vehicle charger point, electric storage heaters, a heat pump, and much more.
Whether you're an Energy Local member or not, here are some suggestions that everyone can use on the best ways to shift your energy consumption away from the peak hours of 4pm-8pm:
1. Use energy-efficient appliances: 
Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances can significantly reduce your energy consumption throughout the day. New energy ratings came into effect from 1st March 2021 so be sure to check your appliances have the new energy label.
2. Unplug electronics: Even when turned off, electronics can still use energy if they're plugged in. Unplugging electronics when they're not in use can save you money and reduce your energy consumption during peak hours.
3. Shift your activities: Consider shifting activities that use a lot of energy, like doing laundry or running the dishwasher, to non-peak hours. Doing these activities earlier in the day or later at night can help reduce your energy consumption during peak hours.
4. Use natural light: Open up your curtains and blinds during the day to let in natural light instead of relying on artificial lighting. This can help reduce your energy consumption and create a more pleasant living environment.
5. Cook outside: 
Using an outdoor grill during peak hours can help reduce your energy consumption inside the house. Plus, it's a great excuse to enjoy the outdoors and cook up a delicious meal at the same time. We realise using a BBQ in the UK can sometimes mean doing so under the protective veil of an umbrella - but it can be done! If you can’t brave the outdoors, get your MasterChef on and prepare meals earlier in the day using slow cookers or batch cooking when power is cheaper so you just need to heat it up at peak time. Not only will you save energy, but you'll also have more time to perfect that soufflé.
6. Using a smart meter: Smart meters provide real-time data on your energy usage, allowing you to monitor your energy consumption and make changes accordingly. Some smart meters even offer time-of-use pricing, which means you can pay less for energy during off-peak hours. By using a smart meter, you can make more informed decisions about your energy usage and save even more money on your energy bills. You can use smart plugs to schedule appliances like washing machines so they come on at the most energy efficient time. Energy Local is the only smart system that includes community consumption, where demand shifting is not just away from peak time but to when the most energy is available locally.
In conclusion, shifting your energy consumption away from peak hours doesn't have to be complicated. By making a few simple changes, you can save money and reduce your impact on the power grid. So, give it a try and see how much you can save!