We Road Test A New App Called Handled And Save $600 On Our Energy Bill!

By Hayley Dean, ellaslist

Everyone knows someone that’s caught up in this Barefoot Investor craze of late; it’s like a responsible adult cult with orange bankcards and talk of things like Mojo and Fire Extinguisher accounts. In truth, we are all looking for ways to save, heck you’d have to be pretty lucky in life to not have too. As a grown up, I get a real sense of excitement and major accomplishment when I find ways to make savings on our family budget. I pride myself on making reductions anyway I can! So imagine my excitement when I discovered a new app that’s sole purpose is to help reduce my gas and electricity bills with barely no effort at all?!

I'ts new, it's 100% Aussie and it's available on iPhone and android – it's called Handled

Handled

Handled was designed by an Aussie start up company right with the intention of helping you save money. As co-founder Carl Prins explains it: “We wanted to make a service that was 10 times better than any solution available on the market today. Our goal was to make it the most effective, convenient and inexpensive solution to getting a better energy deal….. or in other words, rest easy knowing it’s all been Handled”

Handled was built as a complete product that helps you get on a better deal on gas and electricity so you never have to worry about spending hours on the phone negotiating better deals again. 
The app helps you:

• Understand the energy deal you are on
• Understand the options available to you
• Take action and change provider/plan if you please
• Set price alerts to not over-pay in future
• Track your switch and actually prove your saving
• Benchmark your usage against households like yours.

Since their launch at the end of May, the app has already saved its 550 Sydney and South-East Queensland Families over $50,000* – an amazing result in only 2 short months (*based on the users who have changed their utility plans using the app).

How Does it Work?

Essentially the app works by having the user scan or email a copy of their current energy bill, this can be as simple as taking a photo of your paper bill or forwarding your electronic copy. Within a couple of hours (weekdays) or a little bit longer on weekends (the team are doing this themselves), Handled will come back to you with a comparison of the entire Aussie energy market place!

Yeap, they’re not simply a comparison site like certain annoying insurance companies we’ve all seen on TV, these guys genuinely provide 100% market coverage on energy deals. They do this by working out electricity savings based on cost per kWh, cost per days connected and any applicable discounts, charges or credits applied to your bill.

Should you decide to change providers, the Handled team does it ALL for you. All you have to do is push the ‘go’ button! So easy, it’s embarrassing!

For me personally, I am already signed on with Powershop, which I believed was one of the better electricity providers cost wise, given I can receive discounts based on the bundles we pre purchase and the time we pay them. Unbeknownst to me, there are actually much better deals out their for my family. Handled managed to save me almost $300 a year if I was to switch across to Q Energy! WoW, you’d have to agree that’s a substantial saving!

Of course, like many businesses, energy companies change their deals all the time in an effort to attract your business so never feel as though you must remain loyal and stay put. Thanks to the apps handy “price alert” feature, the team at Handled will keep you in the loop with up to date deal that can save you further.

Why use Handled?

• They provide 100% market coverage on energy deals.
• You do not need to speak to someone on the phone to do this. 
• You help yourself, in your own time on the app.
• They provide you with peace of mind about over-paying in future with their "price alert" feature.
• They take the time to understand your usage and tailor your saving calculations to your home.
• They offer promotional deals that are even better than what is available on public websites (Group discounts)
• And finally, they help you through the process of changing provider and test if you actually saved money.

But don’t just take my word for it. We put a call out on our Facebook page for ellaslist readers to do some testing of the app and asked for honest feedback on how they handled it?

Overall, over half the respondents found they could save more than $200 annually, two could receive a $600+ saving(!) thanks to the app and almost all found the app very easy to use. Of those that didn’t, all acknowledges that the app is in its infancy and will no doubt get even easier as time goes on.

Some respondents indicated they have a level of hesitation around security, which is completely fair. Handled have addressed this fear by providing a detail, up to date explanation of their privacy policy.

They also have an open and responsive social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, so if you have a question or feel you may need some more information about Handled, the team would absolutely love to hear from you  - write away, they’ll sort you out in no time.

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