How Can Technology Save You Energy and Money?

Technological improvements for homes are advancing in leaps and bounds. Taking advantage of these home innovations may sound like an expensive proposition, but remember that return on investment is one of the most important considerations to make when you modify your home. Why not incorporate new home technologies that will save energy and money? Read on to find out more.

Is Your Home Smart?

Installing energy- and money-saving smart technology in your home is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint and do your part to slow down global climate change. Most smart home devices and technologies are designed to automate the various systems in your home to make them more energy efficient, thus saving you money. By using smart thermostats, you can keep your home at the optimal temperature whether you’re downstairs watching television or several states away on a trip. Most models are enabled with Wi-Fi, so you can control them from a smartphone or computer. Some higher-end models have sensors that can detect conditions inside the home—a high humidity level, for instance—and adjust the temperature accordingly.

Although they don’t control your home’s major systems, smart appliances also make a difference in your energy consumption and, therefore, the amount of your monthly utility bill. Smart refrigerators, stoves, and other household appliances are Wi-Fi-enabled, so they can be controlled and monitored similarly to a smart thermostat. Being able to preheat the oven while you’re still on your way home from work is a nice perk of a smart appliance, but the real energy and money savings come with the appliance’s ability to alert you to any problems that may be affecting its efficiency. A refrigerator door left slightly open, for example, or a problem with the water pressure in the line feeding the washing machine can waste energy and money. With a smart appliance, you’ll be alerted to these issues before they turn into more expensive problems.

Energy-saving Tips

There are countless ways to save energy at home. Implementing energy-saving technology will certainly save money in the long run, but it’s just as important to follow some basic energy-saving tips. Turn off lights and appliances when they’re not in use. Plug televisions and audio-visual equipment into power strips so that you can easily turn them off if you’ll be away from home for a few days. Replace any old incandescent or compact fluorescent lightbulbs with LED bulbs. If your hot water heater is set at the highest temperature setting, turn it down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider installing an energy monitor on your home’s central circuit breaker to see which appliances use the most power.

Combining new, energy-efficient technologies with improved daily habits will help you conserve energy—and it won’t be long before you see the savings in your bank account, too.