With the rising cost of electricity, many home owners are searching for ways that they can save money on their electric payments to their utility company. So what are they doing? Besides the obvious step of cutting back on your consumption, there are some more creative routes that will lower your bill. We recommend that you use smart home tech to win the fight against higher electricity cost.
Smart home tech is simply the utilization of new technology in your home to make your energy consumption more efficient. It can include a broad range of upgrades, such as monitoring your electrical usage more accurately, more precisely controlling the power usage for heating and cooling, updating lights, and installing appliances with cutting edge technology that reduces power consumption.
Here are some powerful ways to save electricity with smart home tech:
Step 1: Track Energy Use
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Saving money on your electricity bill starts with determining how much energy you are using and where it’s being used. If you try to figure all of this out on your own, then it can be difficult. How would you go about knowing how much electric an appliance is using? Most people wouldn’t have a clue where to begin; however, we recommend that you start by using a home energy monitor to calculate your home’s energy consumption.
Home energy monitors are highly advanced electrical equipment that you must install on the exterior of your house at your electrical service panel and at select locations around your home’s interior. They are designed to be installed by the home owner, but if you find yourself intimidated at any point of the process, then you should hire a professional.
If you want to have a more predictable energy bill, then you should obtain your electricity from an energy company that purchases electricity on your behalf, so you will receive your electricity at regulated rates, such as current ATCO electricity rates. When companies buy their power in bulk, it makes it possible for you to receive better rates than ordinary power companies offer.
Step 2: Save Electricity by Using Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats are a very popular choice to help save on electricity. Depending on the design of your home’s power usage, heating and cooling your home can be much as fifty percent of your electricity consumption; thus, by default, it is common for most new homes being sold to come equipped with smart thermostats at the time of purchase.
The high power usage of heating and cooling makes smart thermostats our number one pick for best smart tech that you can use to save on electricity usage. They are readily available from all of the major thermostat manufacturers, and they are very affordable too. They have a wide range of features that let you fine tune your electricity usage and save big.
Smart thermostats are fully programmable. This means that you have the ability to control the climate in every room of your home separately. It allows you to adjust the room temperature by using a timer; therefore, it can save energy by reducing power consumption when a room isn’t occupied.
The functionality of smart thermostats reaches beyond simply being programmable. Their advanced features study your lifestyle habits, so it can make adjustments without you needing to do them yourself. It tracks what temperatures you like in different rooms, the times of day you frequent different rooms, and whether you are home or not. We think this is very useful because it can recognize electricity usage patterns better than a home owner can.
Step 3: Turn Off more by Smart Lighting
When discussing the topic of wasting electricity, most home owners feel that leaving the lights on when nobody is in the room is a mortal sin. Contrary to most home owners fears, bad light habits are not the bad guy most of us think they are. Although, lights do use some electricity, so they should still be on your checklist of energy wasters to be aware of. After all, every penny counts!
Smart lighting brings lighting into the modern era. Traditional lighting, with a simple flip switch, only allows you to do one thing with your lights. You can only turn them on or off. Smart lighting gives you complete control over your lighting by using an app to make any adjustments that you desire; therefore, you can seriously reduce the amount of electricity that your lights use.
Smart lighting has many advantages. Some of these are obvious; although, there are many advantages you might not of considered. Lets have a look at a few of the most important features.
First, almost all smart lights are made using L.E.D., light emitting diode, bulbs. L.E.D. lights are incredibly efficient at using electricity. Even more impressive, their lifespan can last nearly 20 years. Our opinion is that the energy saved by using L.E.D. lights is enough of a reason to invest in smart lights.
Additionally, smart lights can be programmed to turn multiple lights on or off simultaneously, so you will never forget to turn off the lights at bed time. This feature is great for security because it can create the illusion that people are at home when there is nobody there. Furthermore, making a specific light turn on or dim at a predetermined time is a nice way to create a reminder.
Lastly, smart lighting can be controlled remotely. It doesn’t matter where you are because you can control your lights with an app from your phone. If you want to turn on outside lights from your car, then you can do it easily!
Step 4: Using Smart Appliances to Save Your Money
The old days of your grandmother’s washing machine and refrigerator are gone. Current appliances, although they offer the same ability to perform their expected functions, have become incredibly intelligent machines that enable them to streamline their use of electricity.
For example, there is a feature called smart grid technology that the appliances use to schedule their access to electrical power. Also, smart appliances can communicate with each other for maximum efficiency of power use. Additionally, smart refrigerators give you the ability to select different temperatures for different sections. A futuristic feature like this would make your grandma’s head explode.
Step 5: Block the Sun Out with Smart Blinds
Blocking the sun from entering your home through your windows can be a great way to lower your electricity bill. Less heat in your house will require less air conditioning. This is one of those benefits that seems like a scene from a science fiction movie, but it is totally possible when you have automated blinds that can close if they detect the light from the sun.
Alternatively, in the Winter you can set them to open up if they detect sunlight; thus, it will help you save electricity by using the sunlight to help warm your home. Also, this is another trick to improve your security by creating the illusion that someone is in the house.
In conclusion, the smart home tech tips given here are a great place to start if you want to save on your electric bill. There are many other smart devices that you can use in your home. You should explore the different home tech options yourself to discover which solutions fit your needs the best.
