Home Energy Efficiency 2023

Smart Home Technology Upgrades to Help Reduce Utility Bills & Save Money

For homeowners who receive that dreaded monthly utility bill, it can seem like a distant possibility to be able to have more control over how much they spend each month on utilities. Energy waste is one of the main expenses that homeowners face on a regular basis, and there is very little that can be done without making some changes around the house. But that process in and of itself can be confusing and overwhelming. How does someone start to reduce their utility bill? Where do they need to make the adjustments? The answers are not immediately clear. 

Luckily, with the increasing sophistication and usefulness of smart home technology, there are simple upgrades that savvy homeowners can put in place to help reduce utility bills and save money. Let’s take a look at smart home technology upgrades that homeowners should know about. 

Smart Energy Monitors

One way in which homeowners can empower themselves to make necessary adjustments towards their utility bills is to install a smart energy monitor. A smart energy monitorconnects to the home system to reveal detailed information about your home’s electricity usage. Using a smart energy monitor, you can keep tabs on which appliances are using the most energy, and be able to identify where most of the energy waste is occurring. 

Some devices may be using up valuable energy in your home even when they are turned off. This phenomenon is called “vampire energy” or “phantom load”. A smart energy monitor can help you determine which devices are using up energy when you least expect it, so you can make sure to unplug them whenever they are not in use. According to research, installing a smart energy monitor can help homeowners save an average of 2-20% on energy usage each month, which not only reduces your overall costs, but can also help cut down on environmental damage. 

Smart Thermostat

A huge amount of energy is wasted during the summer and winter months as your home heating and cooling system works to maintain a stable, comfortable climate indoors. With a smart thermostat, you can program the settings to make sure that your home is using the most efficient amount of energy possible. You can control when and where the temperature in your home is regulated by adjusting the temperature regulation system so that it only responds and activates when someone is actually in the room, for example. 

Most smart thermostats sync to Wi-fi via Bluetooth connections, which means you can access the control panel from any Bluetooth-enabled device- your smartphone, laptop, or tablet. You can also access your smart thermostat remotely, so on your way home from work or a day of play, you can set the thermostat to start heating or cooling in time for your arrival back in the house. Adjusting the settings like this can help save you money each month and reduce your monthly utility bills. 

Smart Lighting

There are a variety of options for helping reduce your monthly utility bills using smart lighting. Useful, affordable, and easy to install, smart lighting options are also a great first foray into the world of smart tech gadgets. Installing smart lightbulbs, for example, can help cut costs by emitting a more efficient light, thus reducing your home’s overall energy usage levels each month. And they are as easy to install as regular lightbulbs, you simply screw them in. 

Some smart lightbulbs come equipped with a built-in radio system that allows it to connect straight to your home Wi-fi router, meaning no extra cables or hardware are required. And (as an added bonus), you can program them to illuminate your rooms in different shades and hues, from soft white lighting, to warm yellow, to funky neon green. 

Smart light switches also offer valuable ways to save money on electricity usage. Equipped with voice recognition and automation capabilities, you can tell the lights to go off or dim just by speaking voice commands. And, more importantly, you can turn the lights off remotely, so you no longer have to worry about leaving the house in a rush and forgetting to turn the lights off. 

You can even program the lighting system to send alerts and notifications to your phone in case you forgot to extinguish the lights. Some smart light switches allow you to customize the lighting in each room- and specific varieties even charge themselves when you press the button, a clever and sustainable form of smart tech. 

Smart Water Control

Of course, your monthly utility bill does not just include your electricity and energy usage, but is also dependent on how much water you have used. Huge amounts of water are wasted by inefficient shower heads, faucets, and sprinkler systems. So smart tech gadgets that help regulate and reduce water waste can help you cut monthly costs. 

A smart shower head comes with a digital display screen that can reveal important information to you, like the rate at which the water flows, the duration of the shower, and your preferred temperature. You can make adjustments using voice commands and some come with a built-in timer. Watching real time data about the length of your shower and how much water you have used can help you make informed choices about how to reduce water waste- and lower your monthly bills. 

Similarly, smart sprinkler systems let you regulate when and how much water is being used to water your lawn. One helpful aspect is automated sensing based on weather detection. If it has rained, or is about to rain, you can program your sprinkler to analyze and respond to that information so that your system will not waste any water by watering a lawn that has just received plenty of rain. This form of preventive care can go a long way towards reducing waste and excess water use in your home, saving you money in the long run and making your home more environmentally sustainable at the same time. 

Final Thoughts

While smart home tech gadgets may not be able to solve all the world’s problems (yet), they can go a long way towards helping you reduce your monthly bills by cutting way back on energy and water waste. Analyzing the precise places where your money is being spent unnecessarily can put you back in the driver’s seat in terms of how much you would like to be spending each month on utilities. 

Smart home tech gadgets can also allow you to customize your environment to your specifications, creating a space that feels unique to your needs and preferences. Adjusting the lighting, temperature, and water systems from outside your home allows you more control even while you are at work or on vacation. And installing these devices can be a simple way of making your home feel more like home. 

 

 

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