Primetime Australian news broadcaster, Channel 7 News, has highlighted the frustration of millions of consumers in not being able to easily find the cheapest energy plan and has promoted Ingeni, developed by Planet Innovation, as a simple solution.

Martina Tassone, mother of two children who lives in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, explained in the news story that in just a matter of minutes after using Ingeni she had identified an energy plan that will save her family nearly $500 a year. This was despite Martina having already changed energy plans several times during the previous year, and believing that she was on a cheap plan.

Ingeni is a software product that people run on their home computer which uses a USB aerial to connect directly to their smart meter. After analyzing the actual energy usage of the household, Ingeni compares all the available energy plans to find the cheapest plan for that household.

In addition to locating the cheapest energy plan, Ingeni also provides a real time display of the household energy usage so families can see exactly how much each appliance is costing them and how much they can save by making smart choices through the day.

Unlike energy switching sites that enter into contracts with energy retailers and only offer a sample of available plans, Ingeni has no hidden costs or relationships with energy retailers. It is an independent solution designed to put the consumer back in control of their energy bills and help them save.