Oxfordshire residents will be the first in the UK to use a free new mobile app which saves energy and cuts household bills.

The Energy Saver App is now available to all 172,000 Oxfordshire households with a smart energy meter.

It does not matter if they own or rent their home, or who supplies their energy.

Oxfordshire County Council is supporting the delivery of this app, which will analyse gas and electricity use and suggest personalised actions for reducing bills.

The app is open to all residents and is independent of energy suppliers.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council with responsibility for climate change, environment and future generations, said: "In the middle of a cost of living crisis and a climate emergency, this exclusive offer for Oxfordshire is a fantastic way for residents to reduce their bills and cut their carbon emissions.

"We expect everyone who signs up will be able to cut their gas and electricity consumption by at least seven per cent and save themselves money.

"The app is independent of the energy suppliers, so there is no catch, and we are delighted to be pioneering it here in Oxfordshire."

Later in 2024, over 500 householders, representing a range of app users, will be invited to trial energy smart appliances.

These appliances include solar panels and batteries, and heat pumps.

The trial will remove the barrier of installation costs and help Oxfordshire homes become green.

The Energy Saver App is provided by independent energy infrastructure and solutions provider SMS and its energy transition platform Metis.

(Image: Oxfordshire County Council)

Tom Woolley, SMS and Metis’ product and strategy director, said: "The app, powered by Metis, connects to your smart meter to automatically gather information about your electricity and gas usage.

"It then analyses the data to provide simple advice on how you can reduce your bills.

"Additionally, the app uses this information to suggest future steps for saving money through solar and heat pumps, customised to your household’s specific needs."

Users signing up can get tips on reducing energy consumption, track their savings in money and CO2, receive insights on their consumption directly on their phone and compare their usage with similar homes.

They can also set and track their budget and receive notifications about abnormal consumption.

Data privacy is a key feature of the app.

User data will not be shared with third parties without consent.

The app, developed by SMS, Metis, Eliq and My Utility Genius, is backed by the government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.