A software designer from Bromley has created an energy saving app which helps users control how much energy they’re using.
Ben Dhesi began his experience in software designing 16 years ago, when he started a business named Pulse Business Energy and sold energy contracts to other big companies.
After growing the well-sought business, the now 46-year-old sold Pulse onto other providers.
He soon found himself bored, and after seeing smart meters advertised on the TV more than five years ago, Ben came up with his new business venture – called Hugo.
Hugo provides data of electricity and gas usage to enable houseowners to spot unnecessary energy consumption.
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Ben told the News Shopper: “When I saw the metre boxes I thought ‘those are pretty naff’.
“I thought it would be a better idea to build an app to show how much energy you’re using through your mobile phone instead.
“I then realised the government wasn’t going to do that, and I figured I’ve done something like this before, so why not try to build it myself.
“Today, I have 25,000 users and people love it – especially during the current climate.”
Hugo helps users get an in-depth understanding of energy usage, on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis - straight from a mobile phone device.
Ben explained: “Let’s say you want to spend £5 a day on energy – you can set the budget on your phone and the app will alert you to tell you if you’re on track or overspending.
“People are finding it really helpful because, firstly, the app tells you where exactly the money is being spent, so you can find ways to improve your spending.
“Secondly, it helps them stick to a budget – we’ve created a section on the app full of ‘energy saving tips’ which users can get involved and share the best ways to save money.”
Ben says he has seen the number of users increase dramatically over the recent months due to rise of energy prices.
He said that people didn’t really care about it before because energy prices were “always quite cheap”.
Ben added: “Energy prices have been quite cheap on the whole, but now, they're getting so expensive, and everything else is going up too.
“People should just be able to control what they're using, and that’s what our app can do.”
Your Money Matters is a campaign launched by us and our sister titles across Newsquest to help you overcome the surge in the cost of living. This year has seen a whole host of household price increases — from the energy price cap rise to surging inflation and food prices — costing your family hundreds or even thousands of pounds extra per year. We’re making it our mission to look out for your cash, offering money-saving deals, competitions, giveaways and insightful stories from your community on the impact this cost-of-living crisis is having on our readers. The worldwide energy crisis exacerbated by the Ukraine invasion, the financial impact of the Covid pandemic, record inflation figures and a surge in the cost of goods, fuel and travel means we will all feel the pinch. Through our newspaper, we want to do what we can to help make your cash go further because we know your money matters.
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