The AURORA Energy Tracker app is packed with features designed to help you monitor your energy usage and reduce your carbon footprint. Whether you have just started using the app or have been tracking your data for months, there are a few handy tips and tricks that might help you get even more out of the app. Here we will explore some of the lesser-known features and share advice on how to enter your data more accurately – helping you make the most of your energy tracking experience.
Make the Most of Your Solar Energy
If you have solar panels at home, tracking your photovoltaic (PV) system’s contribution is key to understanding how much of your energy use is renewable. When you enter your electricity consumption, simply select “Home Photovoltaics” as your energy source. You’ll be prompted to enter two key values: Energy produced (how much your solar panels generated in kWh) and Energy exported to the grid (the amount sent back to the national grid).
The difference between these values is the energy you use yourself. If you’re not sure where to find this information, check your energy provider’s online dashboard or receipts, where production and export values are usually listed. By entering both, the app will accurately calculate your self-consumed solar energy and help you reduce your carbon footprint even further.
Tracking Transportation: Precision Matters
Transportation can be one of the trickiest sectors to track due to the variety of methods we use to get around. AURORA allows you to log everything from cars and motorcycles to buses, trains, and even flights (recently added to the app!). Here’s how you can make sure your transportation data is as accurate as possible:
For personal vehicles, after entering the distance you’ve travelled, you can specify custom fuel consumption (in l/km or mpg) if you want a more precise calculation. Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact number handy – the app will use a default value based on your vehicle type, but entering custom data gives a clearer picture of your fuel efficiency. If you’re driving an electric car, you’ll enter the distance as well, but the consumption is measured in kWh per km or miles per kWh. You can also specify how many people were in your car, which will help reflect shared trips more accurately and only attribute your share of the emissions to your profile.
For public transport, you can estimate the occupancy level – “Almost empty,” “Medium occupancy,” or “Nearly full” – to help refine the app’s emissions calculations. The more people using public transport, the lower the emissions per person!
Automate and Simplify with Recurring Consumptions
If you have a regular commute or frequent trips that don’t change much week to week, the recurring consumption feature is here to save you time. You can set up recurring entries for transportation, like your daily drive to work or weekend trips, and the app will automatically log them for you. This means less manual entry and more consistent data tracking without the hassle of re-entering the same information repeatedly.
Speaking of consistency, the app also has a reminder feature that lets you schedule notifications to prompt you to enter your data. Whether you need a weekly nudge to log your car trips or a monthly reminder to update your electricity bill, these reminders can help keep your energy tracking on track.
Don’t Forget Your Heating
Heating is another area where the AURORA app shines. Whether you’re heating your home with firewood, LPG, or natural gas, it’s important to enter the data in the correct units. Firewood can be logged in either kilograms or pounds, while LPG is measured in litres or gallons. If your heating comes from the regional gas grid, you can enter the kWh value listed on your bill. This ensures the app tracks your heating consumption as accurately as possible, no matter how you heat your home.
By keeping an eye on your heating consumption, especially during the colder months, you can see how it impacts your energy label and where adjustments can be made.
Fine-Tuning Your Data: Edit and Review with Ease
Everyone makes mistakes, but in AURORA, fixing them is easy. If you’ve entered something incorrectly, you can simply go back and edit or delete the entry – your profile summary will update instantly. You can also duplicate past entries, which is handy if you have similar data to enter (like your electricity bill, but for a different month). Plus, you can view your summary charts that break down your energy consumption and carbon emissions month by month, helping you see your progress and adjust where needed.
What About Your Energy Label?
Working on achieving a higher energy label? AURORA calculates your label based on your energy consumption over the year. For each day that you enter data, the app adjusts the label dynamically, so you get a fair assessment even if you don’t track every day. A quick tip: the more often you enter data, the more accurate your label will be, giving you a better understanding of your overall energy efficiency.
By leveraging these tips and tricks, you can optimise your use of the AURORA app and get even more detailed insights into your energy consumption. From tracking solar power to simplifying transportation logs, every bit of data you enter helps create a clearer picture of your carbon footprint – and ultimately brings you one step closer to reducing it. Happy tracking!
