Hugo Energy App | Ben Dhesi
Energy technology, consumer services and home improvement PR
HUGO Energy App faced a communications challenge familiar to innovative businesses: the technology could be useful, but journalists did not necessarily need another article about an app. A more compelling route was to explain the household questions that made the technology relevant: what energy costs, how smart meters help and which everyday decisions affect bills.
The client: making smart-meter information useful
HUGO is a British energy technology business associated with founder Ben Dhesi. The original consumer app was designed to help households understand energy consumption and make sense of the data available from their smart meters. It sat at a practical intersection of technology, money management and home improvement.
For many customers, the problem is not the absence of an electricity reading. It is knowing what a reading means for showering, cooking, heating or running appliances. That creates useful territory for editorial comment. A relevant spokesperson can explain the real-life implications of energy data without needing the journalist to promote a product.
This case study describes historical work and historical products. Public materials indicate the service subsequently evolved, so the coverage must not imply that every feature of the older consumer app remains available in its original form.
The challenge: a crowded news agenda
Household bills were a major concern during the 2022 energy crisis. Journalists were covering the cost of living, government schemes, heating policy and household decisions at a fast pace. That created substantial demand for clear explanations, but also intense competition among energy suppliers, charities, economists, household experts and technology businesses.
HUGO needed an editorial proposition beyond 'download our app'. We could build relevant opportunities around problems people were already trying to solve. The business's advantage was proximity to energy data and the practical questions people encounter when they try to reduce waste, control costs or understand where their money is going.
In assessing these results, we distinguish documented coverage from any assumed pitching mechanism. The Published Press records establish the media appearances, outlets and topics. They do not always establish which pitch, journalist request or strategic decision generated an individual feature, so we avoid inventing those campaign details.
Founder visibility through practical money-saving advice
An early example is the Daily Express article dated 9th August 2022, which connected HUGO’s founder-led perspective to the rising cost of energy. It offered a specific consumer reason to read, rather than merely introducing a technology company.
That difference matters. A business’s specialist knowledge can turn its founder into a useful commentator on everyday problems. The editorial value lies in answering an audience question with credible detail and appropriate caveats; the business benefits when its expertise is accurately attributed.
The Express headline refers to potential savings, but this case study does not suggest that all HUGO users achieved the same figure, or that any such saving was directly caused by our PR work.
Making household behaviour an editorial theme
Several recorded articles address what ordinary activities cost. Ideal Home covered how to lower a gas bill and the cost of running a shower. GoodtoKnow published guidance on boiling a kettle. These subjects are familiar, practical and easy for a general reader to connect to their own life.
The lesson is that product expertise can be translated into reader benefit. A journalist does not have to publish a product review to draw on a business’s relevant knowledge. A homes editor may want practical heating information; a lifestyle journalist may need useful appliance costs; a consumer-money editor may need clear comparisons.
For an energy business, accuracy is essential. Cost comparisons depend on price tariffs, local conditions, the particular appliance and the frequency of use. One headline calculation should never be recycled as a universal promise.
Contributing to heating policy and national energy questions
The archive also moves beyond routine household tips into heat pumps, boilers and demand flexibility. Those topics can be confusing and sometimes contentious. A credible expert must distinguish current policy from proposals, typical costs from extreme examples and general advice from household-specific circumstances.
The Daily Express and other publishers carried articles about changing energy bills, possible heating-system replacements and schemes intended to reduce usage at peak times. The relevance to HUGO is clear: people trying to understand their energy choices need reliable interpretation, not only technical specifications.
A specialist business can contribute helpfully here because it understands the language of the sector while the journalist explains why that information matters today. That is a repeatable route into media coverage, subject always to genuine expertise and editorial independence.
Expanding into interiors, appliances and home improvement
Another strand in the available record concerns how people use and cool their homes. The Sun covered underused appliance settings; Apartment Therapy discussed hot zones inside houses; Forbes Home discussed air-conditioning myths; Homes & Gardens and Woman & Home covered topics related to household equipment and efficiency.
This is a broader audience than people comparing energy-monitoring apps. Someone browsing an interior design article might be interested in air-conditioning costs, while a different reader is researching the best way to reduce heat gain in a bedroom. Both relate to energy behaviour, even though neither begins as an energy-technology story.
Editorial breadth is valuable for small brands because it shows that their specialist knowledge can have applications in more than one section of the media. It does not follow that every appearance created a website backlink or converted a reader into a customer. Those are separate outcomes requiring their own evidence.
Examples of identifiable published coverage
Daily Express (2022-08-09): Simple trick to save £490 per year on your energy bills 'We've seen savings of up to 25%'. This record shows a concrete instance of the HUGO subject area appearing in a media discussion. It is not evidence of a guaranteed placement or directly attributable commercial result.
Ideal Home (2022-09-05): How to lower a gas bill – 11 ways you can reduce costs and energy consumption. This record shows a concrete instance of the HUGO subject area appearing in a media discussion. It is not evidence of a guaranteed placement or directly attributable commercial result.
GoodtoKnow (2023-01-17): How much does it cost to boil a kettle and is it the cheapest way to boil water?. This record shows a concrete instance of the HUGO subject area appearing in a media discussion. It is not evidence of a guaranteed placement or directly attributable commercial result.
The Daily Telegraph (2023-03-30): Will a water meter save you money?. This record shows a concrete instance of the HUGO subject area appearing in a media discussion. It is not evidence of a guaranteed placement or directly attributable commercial result.
The Sun (2023-04-03): I’m an appliance expert – the underused settings on your oven, fridge, washing machine that could slash your bills. This record shows a concrete instance of the HUGO subject area appearing in a media discussion. It is not evidence of a guaranteed placement or directly attributable commercial result.
Apartment Therapy (2023-06-14): I Found the Reason My Home Feels So Hot — 6 Ways to Combat “Hot Zones. This record shows a concrete instance of the HUGO subject area appearing in a media discussion. It is not evidence of a guaranteed placement or directly attributable commercial result.
Forbes (2023-08-03): How to Effectively Conserve Energy & Save Money while Using Air Conditioners. This record shows a concrete instance of the HUGO subject area appearing in a media discussion. It is not evidence of a guaranteed placement or directly attributable commercial result.
The results and what they show
The full historical archive comprises 29 publication records, of which 28 have distinct online article links. The published-record dates span more than the client-confirmed twelve months. The correct interpretation is that the archived press footprint demonstrates sustained editorial relevance across that broader period; it should not be marketed as a verified number of independently earned articles in exactly one year.
The outlets in the source record range from national financial news to consumer homes and lifestyle sites. Their subject matter includes personal finance, everyday energy habits, home cooling, heating policy, smart-meter technology and appliance efficiency. Those are substantively different ways for a company to appear in public discussions.
The record does not contain a robust attribution model for app downloads, sales, search rankings, customer energy savings or revenue. We therefore make no numerical claim about those outcomes. The observable result is independently published editorial visibility in outlets that matter to consumers.
| Outlet | Date | Article | Read Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Express | 2022-08-09 | Simple trick to save £490 per year on your energy bills 'We've seen savings of up to 25%' | Read article |
| Chronicle Live | 2022-08-14 | Fixing the cost of living | Read article |
| Express | 2022-08-14 | You could save almost £1,000 a year on energy bills with two simple tricks | Read article |
| Ideal Home | 2022-09-05 | How to lower a gas bill – 11 ways you can reduce costs and energy consumption | Read article |
| Ideal Home | 2023-01-15 | How much does it cost to run a shower? This is how much your morning shower really affects your energy bills | Read article |
| GoodtoKnow | 2023-01-17 | How much does it cost to boil a kettle and is it the cheapest way to boil water? | Read article |
| Express | 2023-01-22 | Energy bills alert: Heat pumps could replace gas boilers but 'cost upwards of £1,000' | Read article |
| Daily Express | 2023-01-22 | British Gas to EON Next: Full list of providers which could pay you to cut energy use | Read article |
| Express | 2023-01-23 | Can baking soda clean kettles? I tested it out on my kettle covered in stubborn limescale | Read article |
| GB News | 2023-01-23 | How to get paid £20 for not using your washing machine TONIGHT - National Grid activates emergency winter plan to save Britain from running out of energy | Read article |
| Daily Express | 2023-02-07 | Energy bills alert: Heat pumps 'not affordable' as costs hit £35,000 - list of discounts | Read article |
| GoodtoKnow | 2023-02-15 | Are water bills really going up by 40%? Everything we know about the rumours | Read article |
| Ideal Home | 2023-02-24 | How much do solar panels cost? And are they worth it? | Read article |
| The Daily Telegraph | 2023-03-30 | Will a water meter save you money? | Read article |
| The Sun | 2023-04-03 | I'm an appliance expert – the underused settings on your oven, fridge, washing machine that could slash your bills | Read article |
| Daily Express | 2023-04-21 | 'Easiest way' to cut energy bills now as gas and electricity prices could 'spike any time' | Read article |
| GOBankingRates | 2023-05-17 | Personal finance experts on saving money/summer appliances | Read article |
| Yahoo | 2023-05-31 | Is Central Air Worth the Cost? Plus, What You Can Do Instead | Read article |
| MSN | 2023-05-31 | Is Central Air Worth the Cost? (and What You Can Do Instead) | Read article |
| GOBankingRates | 2023-05-31 | Is Central Air Worth the Cost? (and What You Can Do Instead) | Read article |
| Apartment Therapy | 2023-06-14 | I Found the Reason My Home Feels So Hot — 6 Ways to Combat “Hot Zones” | Read article |
| GoodtoKnow | 2023-07-26 | Best budgeting apps for families (#5 is great if you love cash stuffing) | Read article |
| Bustle | 2023-07-30 | Contractors Say Almost Every Home Needs These Little Things — Otherwise You're Wasting Money | Read article |
| Forbes | 2023-08-03 | How to Effectively Conserve Energy & Save Money while Using Air Conditioners | Read article |
| Woman & Home | 2023-10-27 | Costs of Running an Electric Blanket | Read article |
| Your Home | 2023-10-31 | Anything to Do with Money-Saving/Improving Your Home | Not available |
| Homes & Gardens | 2023-11-23 | Should You Bother With An Air Fryer? | Read article |
| GOBankingRates | 2023-12-06 | Saving | Read article |
| First Time Buyer | Not recorded | Could building your own home get you on to the property ladder? | Read article |
Images from the coverage
Historical feedback from the client
In August 2022, Ben of HUGO left a positive public review of the PR team’s earlier work. He particularly valued transparency, the team’s systems and communication, and reported that national coverage was already appearing. This is a faithful paraphrase of historical feedback, not a new testimonial written for Fair Public Relations. The original public review can be checked. No other agency name should appear in the website testimonial wording.
The wider outcome for similar businesses
HUGO illustrates the value of making expert knowledge useful rather than simply asking journalists to promote a product. The same core expertise can contribute to several news agendas when the spokesperson can offer accurate, timely and accessible explanations.
For technology founders, there is a practical process behind this: understand which subjects the business can comment on credibly, identify the questions general readers are asking, prepare genuinely helpful responses and accept that reporters decide independently what to use.
A product launch may still deserve attention, but broader expert commentary can create additional opportunities over time. The results will vary with the business, its evidence and the news cycle; no responsible agency should promise the same number of publications to another client.
Results at a glance
| Result | Details |
|---|---|
| Client | HUGO Energy App |
| Campaign | 12 months, as supplied by Jordan |
| Historical coverage archive | 29 publication records and 28 distinct URLs, with records extending from August 2022 through December 2023; the archive exceeds the reported 12-month engagement |
| Editorial themes | Smart-meter data, consumer energy bills, heating and cooling costs, appliance use and household savings |
| Representative media | The Telegraph, Ideal Home, Daily Express, Forbes Home, GB News, The Sun and Apartment Therapy |
| Commercial impact | No independently verified downloads, enquiries, conversion or revenue statistics supplied |
Frequently asked questions
How can a technology app earn media coverage outside technology publications?
By providing credible expertise on the real consumer questions associated with the product. For an energy app, those questions include bills, heating, appliance costs and home efficiency.
Does all earned media coverage include a website backlink?
No. Editorial outlets decide whether to link, and an expert may be named without a link. Backlinks and editorial mentions must be measured separately.
Did HUGO receive every archived placement within twelve months?
The client has confirmed a twelve-month engagement, but the underlying records cover a longer period. The historic record count is explicitly not presented as a twelve-month-only result.
Could your specialist business contribute more to the media?
Fair Public Relations works with founders and experts to develop genuine newsworthy angles, useful explanations and credible earned visibility.
