Which Smart Home Devices Save Money and Energy?

Many homeowners in the United States are anxious to do their bit to help reduce their carbon footprint and some smart home devices will help save energy and money. An article in Tech Radar.com looks at various devices that homeowners can think about incorporating into their properties to make them greener and more energy-efficient.

Using these smart home devices could cut down on utility bills and electricity usage is a major concern. Apparently, it creates more greenhouse gases than cars. Using a device to monitor home energy levels can help detect which devices are the worst for sucking up energy. This device is attached to a circuit breaker and monitors your home electricity usage, and it can sense each device individually and can send this data to a smartphone app. This allows you to track real-time usage and to monitor long-term trends. Major culprits include phone charges, while other large devices such as gaming consoles and printers should, in theory, use less energy in standby mode but often usage is higher than you’d think.

Lighting is another energy drain. Changing to LED or CFL bulbs will help, but the plethora of smart bulbs on the market will save energy while giving you the opportunity to customize your home environment simply by using an app. The smart bulbs allow you to change the color scheme in your home, to dim the lights or match the lighting to your mood. They can be paired with devices that will automatically turn off lights once you leave your home.

Who doesn’t love a long hot shower? However, it may be costing you more than you think. It’s possible to get a low-flow shower head that also comes with an LED screen showing you how many gallons of water you’ve used and the current water temperature. Heating and air conditioning is a huge outlay for most of us but smart thermostats that learn your movements, such as Nest, can then automatically adjust the temperature of your home to suit its occupants. Energy usage and savings can be tracked over time while making your sure your home is always at a comfortable temperature.

Energy Star rated appliances are the best to choose if you’re looking to upgrade old kitchen appliances as you’ll get detailed information about the most efficient appliances the market. For example, smarter washing machines can sense load sizes, cutting down on water and heat energy. The most modern TVs on the market just cost a few dollars a year to run.