7 Must-Read Smart Home Energy Savings Tips
With electricity bills cutting into your monthly budgets in a big way, now is the time to consider ways to cut down on your energy consumption. That’s where smart homes come in. When you buy the tools you need to upgrade your home to a “smart home” energy-saving starts right away. Cut down on wasted energy and out-of-control electricity bills with these surefire smart home energy savings tips!
How Do Smart Homes Save Energy?
Smart technology connects via your wifi, meaning you can control it remotely. Air conditioners, thermostats, and your home appliances can all be controlled by your smartphone. You can simply turn them off remotely when not in use. Out for a few days? Use your phone to turn down your thermostat and put your air conditioner on low-power mode until you’re on your way back.
Do Smart Homes Save Money?
If you use less power, your electrical consumption goes down, meaning your power bill will be a lot less pricey when it comes due. Americans spend $130 billion a year on wasted energy. Here’s how you can save:
1) Smart Water Leak
Water leaks might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to smart home energy-saving tips, but make no mistake - water leaks can wind up costing you a fortune. Water leaks cause pipes to freeze, and that means costly home repairs. Smart water leak sensors will text or email you when they detect a problem. Install them under your sinks and near your hot water tank.
2) Smart Light Lights & Bulbs
There are so many ways smart LED lights and bulbs can save you money. A lot of people leave their lights on all day, either by accident or on purpose. With smart light bulbs, you can turn them on and off remotely and control the brightness. Some even turn on automatically when you’re on your way home.
Do LED Bulbs Save on Electric Bills?
LED lights are quickly becoming the standard for energy saving in the United States as they use roughly 75% less energy while lasting 25% longer than other lighting. They emit very little heat and are known to be far more efficient in the way they direct lighting.
Smart Plugs
Even if your home isn’t set up to be a fully functioning smart home yet, you can still benefit from smart plugs. They simply plug into your existing outlets and regulate the amount of energy used by an appliance.
Are Smart Plugs Worth It?
Smart plugs allow you to monitor your electrical consumption by an outlet in real-time. If you happened to notice a device that’s not in use is consuming a ton of energy while plugged in, simply turn off the smart plug remotely. Cut down on energy waste immediately.Can You Control Smart Plugs Away from Home?
The best thing about smart plugs is that by connecting a device to a smart plug, you can monitor and control the outlet via an app. That means you can easily control them away from home. You can even set smart schedules to have the plugs turn on and off at certain times of the day. If you’re traveling and are worried about an appliance you might have left plugged in at home, peace of mind is as simple as the touch of a button.
Smart Appliances
Want to save even more on energy? Smart appliances are the way to go. Refrigerators, washing machines, coffee machines - even stoves - next time you want to upgrade an appliance go the smart route. Think about it. Have you ever been on the road and started stressing out about whether or not you turned off the oven of a coffee machine before you left? Now you can turn them off remotely via your phone!
Appliances can also be very costly to replace. With a smart appliance, if there are any problems, you’ll get an email about it so you can repair the part in question rather than replace the whole unit. Smart appliances will also tell you when the most cost-effective time is to use them if you happen to be on an energy plan that charges different rates depending on the hour! Smart home garage door openers can also warn you if your door’s been left open, which could let in cold air and make your thermostat work overtime. Plus, smart sprinklers can let you water your lawn in a way that doesn’t waste water, as they’ll warn you if rain is expected, as watering during a rainstorm wastes water and energy!
Smart Home Security Systems
Worried about home security? Smart home security systems are custom-designed to put your mind at ease. Get instant notifications and alerts! Smart home doorbells record everyone’s coming and going in 1080p video, plus they have a built-in microphone and speaker so you can communicate remotely with visitors by your phone. Never miss an important delivery again! Plus, smarter home indoor and outdoor cameras can record when you’re not around; with cloud-based storage you can access from anywhere. You can even use it to check on your pets when you’re not home.
But how will they save you money? Easy - rather than call in false alarms to the police or your home security services, you’ll be able to see via your mobile device whether a threat is serious, saving you a potential fine from the police for false reports.