There are simple ways to preserve energy, such as turning off lights when leaving a room or unplugging tools and appliances when not in use. However, if you purchase smart energy-saving equipment for your house, you will be able to do many of these daily duties while saving even more energy.
Many people utilize smart technologies to monitor and control the amount of energy their home consumes. Here’s how you can do it too.
How can smart homes help you save money on energy?
Despite being 27% larger on average, homes built after the year 2000 utilize the same amount of energy as homes built in the 1960s. This is mostly due to the fact that newer homes are more likely to be constructed with smart-home energy efficiency in mind, incorporating smart-home hubs and equipment.
Through a range of smart-home energy-saving measures, homeowners may take control of their energy consumption. Smart-home hubs, for example, can turn off electronic gadgets and appliances when not in use, decreasing standby power loss and enhancing energy conservation.
New energy-saving smart home devices are controlled by smartphone apps, allowing you to manage and monitor your energy usage from anywhere. These technology advancements improve safety and convenience while also providing new ways for lowering your smart-home energy use.
7 energy-saving household tips to save money and electricity
Home automation has several advantages, including the ability to set energy-saving routines for your home’s most power-hungry appliances. Here are some of the most effective energy-saving solutions for smart homes available today.
1. Make your day easier by establishing smart-assistant routines.
Smart-home assistants such as Amazon Echo and Google Home enable you to build regular smart-home routines that include scheduling when appliances turn on and off.
For example, you might program your dishwasher to run while you’re away, your coffee maker to switch on and off at the same time every morning, or any of your other smart kitchen gadgets to follow a similar routine.
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By incorporating these habits, you won’t have to worry about forgetting to turn off appliances when they’re not in use, which will improve both safety and energy efficiency.
2. Use smart home-energy apps to analyze your home’s energy usage.
To find strategies to save energy in your smart home, you must first understand which appliances and devices use the most energy and when they are most frequently used.
Home-connected apps, such as the Department of Energy’s Home Energy Saver, monitor and analyze energy consumption to show homeowners which appliances are consuming the most electricity.
3. Use a fixed-rate plan to lock in your energy price.
Dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers are frequently used concurrently in different residences across an electrical grid, resulting in peak energy needs at specific times of day. When this occurs, the cost of electricity rises as well.
A fixed-rate energy plan allows you to lock in your energy rate for the term of your contract, avoiding price volatility. To maximize your savings, you can lock in your rate when electricity prices are at their lowest.
4. Use automatic power-downs to prevent energy waste from appliances.
Many appliances require energy even when they are not in use. When not in use, gaming consoles, standby coffee makers, cable or satellite boxes, and any other gadget that can be controlled by a remote will waste power.
If you can’t unplug your appliances, using automated power-down options keeps inactive equipment and devices from consuming energy. Energy.gov is a good appliance energy calculator if you’re wondering how much energy an appliance consumes.
The following smart devices in your house may have automated power-down modes:
Heaters for small spaces. Increase your smart-home energy savings by setting timers to turn off space heaters at specific times of day.
Cooking equipment. Even when kitchen appliances are not in use, the screens on microwaves, ovens, and refrigerators continue to operate and drain power. When a product or appliance is not in use, smart technology can send it into power-saving mode, shutting off displays.
Televisions, PCs, and game consoles. When computers, televisions, and gaming consoles are not in use, they lose energy—energy that a smart assistant may save by prompting automatic shut downs.
Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are two types of humidifiers. Dehumidifiers and humidifiers are frequently left on indefinitely. Using smart assistants to turn off such items when no one is home reduces their energy consumption and helps to maintain a comfortable humidity level in your house.
5. Use voice-controlled smart lighting to save electricity.
Any light that can be controlled by a home’s smart assistant or via the smart light’s phone app is considered smart lighting. Homeowners can use energy-saving timers, motion detectors, and dimmers to modify the illumination at different times of the day. Once connected to a smart assistant, such lighting can be activated and deactivated using voice commands.
Smart lights have additional advantages, such as assisting in the security and protection of your smart home. Scheduling lights to turn on and off when you’re not home, for example, can be part of an automated home security system, discouraging criminals by implying the house is occupied.
Switching from incandescent light bulbs to energy-efficient LED or CFL bulbs saves energy as well. While slightly more expensive than standard bulbs, LED bulbs outlast incandescent lights, making them a good investment.
6. To save even more energy, consider upgrading to energy-efficient appliances.
Turning off your appliances when they’re not in use helps save energy, but you can go even further by upgrading to energy-efficient products. Replacing outdated, inefficient appliances with newer, more efficient models will help you save energy while potentially improving the value of your home.
7. Turn any electrical product into a smart gadget by using smart plugs.
You are not need to upgrade all of your home’s gadgets, systems, and appliances at the same time. You may use smart plugs to convert any electrical appliance into a power-saving smart device.
Smart plugs can be controlled through smartphone or connected to a home assistant. Once fitted, the best smart plugs can turn gadgets on and off while also monitoring the energy use of each device. Smart power strips function similarly, making them yet another useful power-saving technology.
5 energy-saving smart home devices
To completely benefit from smart-home energy savings, you may need to enhance your home’s technology. If you’re not sure where to begin, consider any of the following home energy-saving devices:
1. Smart thermostats to improve heating and cooling efficiency
HVAC systems consume 32% of the average home’s electricity and have the potential to waste significant amounts of energy if kept on when no one is home. As a result, automatic thermostats are critical smart-home energy-efficiency technologies. A smart thermostat monitors the temperature of the home and adjusts it based on whether or not it is occupied.
2. Smart refrigerators for improved temperature control
Refrigerators that are energy-efficient save energy by measuring inside temperatures and adjusting the thermostat accordingly. Furthermore, some smart refrigerators make your life easier by allowing you to scan the contents of the fridge with your phone and automatically buying food when supplies run short.
3. Smart dishwashers that save water
Smartphone apps may control smart dishwashers and schedule them to run at certain times. Newer dishwashers can also detect leaks and dry dishes more effectively while using less electricity. New energy-saving home technology even allows you to regulate when appliances run, allowing you to arrange them to run when energy demand is low.
4. Intelligent ovens for more efficient cooking
The latest smart ovens, with adjustable functions and built-in Wi-Fi technology, add to the already outstanding list of advantages that energy-efficient ovens provide. Some smart ovens, for example, may even tell you when dinner is done cooking and ready to serve.
5. Smart air conditioners for temperature control
Home connectivity allows you to control your smart air conditioner through app or voice command, allowing you to configure it to turn on before you arrive home.
Air conditioning consumes 15% of the average home’s electricity, and most air conditioners operate longer than they should. You may save money on heating and cooling by connecting your air conditioner to a smart thermometer that maintains your optimal home temperature.
