We’re creatures of comfort, now more so than ever before. At the same time, the consciousness of humankind makes us constantly aware of the outcome of our actions. So, naturally, we as a species are trying our best to cut down on our energy consumption. It helps the environment, it helps our pocket; win-win! Being the intelligent beings we are, we’ve found a hack in the system, and it’s called smart home devices. They help us keep our precious comfort whilst reducing the numbers on our electricity bills. Let’s talk about how they do so.
We’ve done it, haven’t we? Left the lights on the entire day, the entire night. 24×7, even. It is horrible, but we’re all guilty of it, knowing or unknowingly. However, it makes little to no difference to your energy bill if you feel sorry about your action; energy consumed is energy billed.
Smart lights have been around for over a decade now, and they’re better than ever before. Here are all the ways they help conserve energy:
1. By detecting motion, they can turn lights on or off.
2. They can now work on a schedule. So, they automatically turn on and off at the designated time.
3. Lights can also start automatically dimming at the time you assign. This means less energy is consumed and also adds quite an aesthetic appeal to a room. It is recommended to sit in dim or no light before bedtime anyway.
Even after you’ve switched “off” electronics like your TV, gaming console, coffee machine, etc, they still continue to draw power, and it is called, very cool name btw, vampire energy. It is called as such because it literally keeps sucking a bit of energy. We’ll admit, the savings from this aren’t going to fund anybody’s college. They’re small, but if you had them up, the number becomes enough to be concerned, and we, as environmentally oriented individuals, should make this bare minimum effort.
Smart plugs let you cut the power completely when you’re not using something. Similar to smart lights, you can set schedules or turn them off remotely. Some advanced smart plugs even let you track usage so you know which devices are ocnsuming more power. Speaking of monitoring…
Sometimes, you don’t even realize where the waste is coming from. Months go by, and you’re unable to detect what is eating up all the power. If the manual search is of no avail, make use of energy monitoring devices like Sense or Emporia can track which appliances are using the most power. Once you know that your spare fridge in the garage is eating up $25 a month, you might finally unplug it. Or replace it with a more efficient model. Knowledge equals savings.
Old-school thermostats can’t tell if you’re home, awake, asleep, or halfway to the airport. Smart thermostats? They can.
Devices like the Nest or Ecobee adjust temperatures based on your habits. They can lower the heat while you’re out, warm things up before you return, and even respond to weather forecasts. No more heating or cooling an empty house.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turning your thermostat back 7°–10°F for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling. Smart thermostats automate that for you — no need to remember to do it yourself. (Source)
Newer smart appliances — fridges, dishwashers, washing machines — don’t just look good. They often come with energy-efficient modes, off-peak usage settings, and the ability to alert you if something’s not working right.
Some washing machines, for example, can delay a cycle until energy rates are lower. That’s not something most of us would remember to do on our own.
And when appliances run more efficiently, they last longer too.
You don’t need to turn your home into a sci-fi movie to save on energy. Just a few thoughtful upgrades—like a smart thermostat, lighting, and maybe a smart plug or two—can make a noticeable difference.
Add in devices like smart locks for better control, and have the contact details of tech support service handy. Not everybody is tech-savvy, and thankfully, these are people firms that make their living setting up and managing smart homes so they’ve got you covered no matter what techincal issue you may face.
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