The last decade has seen some incredible transformations in the world of consumer technology. We’ve seen phones become an indispensable tool, personal computing completely revolutionised and much, much more.

Now, in 2016, we’re truly entering the era of the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT).

Put simply, the Internet of Things describes a network of devices that all communicate with each other to improve efficiency, make our lives easier and much, much more. In this scenario, everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data.

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The IoT will have a wide ranging effect on almost every aspect of our lives, but what about in our energy usage? Here’s five ways the IoT will improve your energy.

Greater efficiency in the grid

It’s easy to forget, but the existing power infrastructure that supplies our homes and businesses is extremely old now. It’s been modernised as time has progressed, but it remains largely the same. In an increasingly data driven and digital world, that means some pretty large inefficiencies.

The IoT will dramatically modernise the existing infrastructure, leading to much smarter energy management solutions behind the scenes. In practical terms, that means money saved, which could lead to lower bills.

Better reliability

In a system powered by the IoT, the power grid speaks to itself. This means that energy companies will better be able to respond to power outages and downtime in the system, having received instant warning of any impending failures or faults.

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We’ve all suffered through the pain of losing your power, and whether it’s for an hour or a day, it can be incredibly frustrating and expensive for us to manage around. With the IoT, we can expect to see huge leaps in overall reliability of the network.

Lower energy bills

The Internet of Things is all about making the stuff in your home ‘smart’. Imagine a home which knows which rooms are being used, which items need to remain on and which can safely be switched off overnight. That’s the promise of a house optimised by the IoT, and it’ll deliver huge power savings in all of our homes.

That means lower bills and lower usage levels, something we can all get behind.

A greener home

With lower usage levels, your home will be better equipped for a green future. None of us like using more energy than we absolutely have to, and with overall energy usage down across the country, we can all begin to make headway on the green dream.

No more estimated bills

If you’re looking for an example of how the IoT has already improved your energy experience, then look no further than smart meters. Almost every major energy supplier in the UK has now launched a smart meter and they’re due to be compulsory by 2020. By communicating your energy usage directly to your energy company, they save everyone time and money by giving 100% accurate readings automatically.