Smart home devices are good for more than just playing your favorite song or looking up information. You can also save energy and reduce your electric bill by investing in smart technology for your home. Think The Jetsons, but with the added bonus of saving money. If you’re looking to cut down on your utility bills, check out these smart home energy solutions.
Prevent Phantom Loads with Smart Power Strips
When electrical devices, such as laptops, cell phone chargers, and TVs, aren’t in use, they can still draw a phantom power load in standby mode. These phantom loads not only waste energy but can also end up costing you money on your electric bill.
To eliminate phantom loads, plug all alike peripherals for a particular electrical device into a smart power strip. These strips manage phantom loads by automatically shutting down devices that go into standby mode and keeping devices running that you want to leave on, such as a digital clock.
Maintain a Comfy Temperature with a Smart Thermostat
With the ever-changing Ohio weather, it’s not unlikely that you’ll experience temperatures that make you want to blast your air conditioning unit one day and then crank up the heat as you throw on an extra layer of clothing the next day. These drastic changes to your thermostat will seriously rack up your energy costs.
To save on home energy, consider a smart thermostat. This smart home energy device connects to your Wi-Fi to automatically adjust heating and cooling temperatures in your home. Common features include programming preferred temperatures, developing an automated schedule (like turning down the heat at night), providing energy usage data, and allowing you to control your home’s temperature through a smartphone or tablet.
Utilize the Sun with Smart Blinds
The sun shining through the windows during the summer (or being blocked on sunny winter days) can affect both the temperature of your home and cost of your electric bill. Keeping the blinds open in the summer can make a room hotter, making your air conditioning unit work harder to keep the house cool. During the winter when blinds are usually kept closed, opportunities can be missed to utilize the sun to help heat your home.
To make the most of the sun’s natural light, consider smart motorized window shades. These smart blinds can help regulate the heat in a room by opening and closing at regular pre-programmed times. For example, the blinds will know when to close during the hottest parts of the day to reduce the need for air conditioning as well as when to open on a sunny winter day to help heat the room and cut down on heating costs.
Control Lights with Smart Lighting
Ever forget to turn off a light when you leave a room? Turning off lights is an easy way to save energy, yet most of us are guilty of forgetting to do so, especially when we’re in a hurry.
Smart bulbs are internet-capable LED light bulbs that allow lighting to be customized, scheduled and controlled remotely. For example, you can program your lights so that you come home to a lit house after work without wasting energy while you’re gone for the day or have the lights turn on automatically with your morning alarm. Not to mention, LED light bulbs, although more expensive than incandescent bulbs, have a longer life expectancy and use significantly less energy, which saves you even more money on your electric bill.
Soak Up Savings with a Smart Water Monitor
Do you feel like your money is going down the drain every time you pay your utility bills? It can be hard not to relish a few extra minutes belting out your favorite songs in the warm shower every morning, but you’ll soak up more savings by being conscious of the water you’re using.
Smart water monitors, such as showerhead and sprinkler controllers, can be great ways to save water. Low-flow smart showerheads largely help with water conservation and some even come with a hydraulic-powered LED screen that tells you how many gallons of water you’ve used or will store the hot water until you’re ready to hop in the tub. Additionally, smart sprinklers allow you to customize watering schedules to prevent over-watering and can connect to weather data to adjust the schedule, so you don’t water your garden when rain is on the way.
Simplify Daily Tasks with Smart Appliances
Cooking food, running the dishwasher and doing laundry are all household chores that not only eat up your time, but also your utility bills. Fortunately, smart appliances in the forms of dishwashers, microwaves, and washers and dryers, for example, can help homeowners streamline these tasks while being more energy efficient.
Ever forget about food in the microwave? In addition to simply reheating your leftovers, smart microwaves can be controlled from your smartphone and will send alerts when your food is ready. When you’re doing eating, smart dishwashers allow you to start wash cycles from your smartphone and monitor the performance. You’ll also receive alerts to your phone when a wash is finished or if there is a malfunction. Similarly, smart washers and dryers give you more control over your cycles by running during off-peak hours, sending progress alerts, and monitoring the energy you use.
If your utility bills are continuing to increase, consider investing in energy-saving smart home devices to help you save money. Want more ways to save energy? Check out the NOPEC tip house for more home energy-saving tips.
