Smart home devices have become popular over the past few years as people buy into the promise of a cool-looking house and reduced bills. While they don’t come cheap, some of them can help you save every penny you can with your bills and realize some significant cost savings.
Here are smart home products that can help you save electricity and add some pocket change to your wallet over time.
Smart Thermostats
Did you know that air conditioning and fans are the largest single use of electricity by U.S. households? A smart thermostat can help you fine-tune the temperature in your home as it optimizes the heating and cooling so you don’t have to waste fuel or electricity.
Some of the best smart thermostats like Google Nest or Ecobee give you more precise control of the inside temperature of your home as they learn your habits so you won’t heat or cool unused spaces needlessly.
They don’t actually reduce the amount of energy it takes to cool or heat your home, as this depends on your temperature settings, habits, type of HVAC system, size of your home and other factors. However, they ensure the temperature isn’t cranked up when nobody’s home.
If you want to save more money, a combination of the smart thermostat with better insulation, dressing warmer, and checking the seals on doors and windows will help.
Smart Ceiling Fans
These fans can work with your smart thermostat to make your home feel cooler or warmer without relying on the HVAC system so you can save energy and more money.
You can control smart ceiling fans on an app using any device connected to the Internet, turning it on or off, or even adjusting its speeds via your mobile device.
Smart ceiling fans are costlier than smart thermostats, but they have another cost-saving home automation product – a smart light bulb.
Smart Blinds and Window Coverings
These may not be at the front of the mind like the smart thermostat and other popular smart home gadgets, but they have so much to offer.
Smart blinds or window coverings can be opened and closed with just a voice command or button, plus you can program your system to respond to the environment automatically.
Additionally, they help you save on costs by controlling the lighting and temperature of your home. A smart window cover or blinds can help you save between 11 and 20 percent in space cooling and heating and about 3 percent in lighting.
Smart Plugs
A smart plug offers a better way for you to monitor your power meter. Most electrical devices draw power whether they’re in use or not – a phenomenon usually referred to as “vampire energy,” which is equal to 50 large power plants of electricity.
If you want to keep watch over your power consumption in the home, you can monitor the situation using a smart plug, as it helps you track energy usage and identifies when devices are on so you can switch them off and stop energy drainage before it shoots up the price on your monthly power bill.
Smart plugs can switch off devices on a timer, or you can do it manually via an app, to ensure appliances are switched off and save money in the process.
Smart Light Bulbs
This is a bright idea and the simplest way you can save some money. All you need to do is screw it on, and it’ll not only use up to 75 percent less energy, but will last up to 25 times longer and save you extra cash with its dimming capability.
A smart bulb also allows you to control your home lighting from your phone, whether you want to dim the lights and set the mood for watching a movie or brighten them to entertain guests or work on something.
Besides brightness, you can set them to any temperature or color. Plus, there are also weather-resistant outdoor smart bulbs, too.
Smart bulbs are usually LED, which makes them more energy efficient and makes them waste far less energy to produce heat. They also lower your power bill by switching themselves off through timers, geofencing and motion detection features.
Smart Sprinkler System
This system helps you save money, as it only dispenses the amount of water your garden needs when it needs it. The device knows the type of soil in each part of your garden and the kinds of plants that grow there.
It also monitors the weather changes and forecast such that if it’s raining outside, the sprinkler will hold back on watering your garden.
Smart sprinklers conserve water that would otherwise leak and end up wasted. It also monitors behind toilets, under sinks, and around washing machines among other possible leaky points.
When the sprinkler’s sensor detects leakage, you’ll get an alert on your smartphone so you can attend to it before it gets worse. You may have a big lawn, which takes a lot of water, energy and time to maintain, but with a smart sprinkler, you can save your water bill and the planet by running it only when it’s necessary.
Smart shower head
This smart gadget claims to help you reduce water consumption by slowing down the flow. Once it measures your consumption, the color of the shower head changes depending on your usage. For example, green indicates you’re using less than three gallons while red shows you’re consuming more than eight gallons. This way, you get to know more about your consumption in real time.
Wrap-Up
Nothing says smart like being able to cut on costs and save some money in the process. By design, a thoughtful smart home saves you money by reducing waste and making your home more efficient. Smart home devices don’t just make things easier for you to do and more convenient – they also help you lower your consumption and some bills completely.
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