Cutting down on energy costs always seems like an uphill battle. There are so many things in your home that use energy, and trying to figure out how to make them use less energy is time-consuming and not always practical. But there is something that can help you make that energy bill less daunting — smart home automation!
Yup, you read that right — connecting your home to one smart hub will help you lower your energy usage. How does it do that? We'll tell you!
1. Smart Thermostats
Having a smart thermostat is an easy way to save on energy costs because you control how to heat or cool your home. While that may be true of any thermostat, with a smart thermostat, you get a lot more with these key features:
- Automatic Home & Away Sensors: These automatically sense if you're home or away and can turn your system on or off accordingly.
- Customizable Features: Control the climate of any room to however you like. You can get even more precise if you have separate climate systems for separate floors.
- Smart Technology Tracking: Get monthly energy reports so you can see what is wasting energy and adjust accordingly.
- Remote Access: Tweak your settings from anywhere, so you can turn off the AC even while you’re at work.
- Easy-to-Use Settings: Efficiently program your system at any time with recommended settings and set up your schedule to your preferences.
By constantly tweaking your climate control system, you'll easily cut down energy costs. Most smart thermostats reduce energy bills between 12 and 23 percent!
2. Smart Blinds
Of course, when it comes to heating or cooling your home, your windows are a big part of that process. And if you want to lessen the burden on your smart thermostat, you can complement your system with smart blinds!
Manually closing and opening your blinds for every window isn't very efficient, especially if you forget to close them on schedule or leave them open for too long. But with smart blinds, you can control every window with a touch of a button and program actions in advance, so you always stay on schedule.
This way, you can keep your home several degrees warmer or cooler than average without involving your HVAC system. Instead, let the sun do it for you naturally and minimize your energy costs!
3. Smart Lighting
Are you constantly turning off the lights to save on your energy bill? You don't have to keep going into every room to turn off the lights your kids left on again — smart lighting will do it for you!
You can program all your settings in advance and remotely turn off the lights without having to get up and do it yourself. And if you use compatible smart bulbs, which are LED and use 75 percent less energy, you can program your lights to dim and save an extra 40 percent!
When used with smart in-wall switches, you'll also streamline automation and scheduling while still having manual controls.
4. Smart Plugs
Have you ever heard of phantom or vampire power? It's when a plugged-in device or appliance still sucks up energy even when not in use. Everything you leave plugged in will slowly leach energy, which might not seem like a big deal. But when you have a kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, toaster, etc., and a laundry room with a washer and dryer, that energy usage adds up.
With smart plugs or smart power strips, you can monitor the energy use of every device you plug in and completely turn it off. This is way more efficient than trying to unplug all your appliances every night and plug them in every morning — nobody has that kind of time.
5. Smart Home Security Systems
Smart home security systems are also beneficial for cutting back on energy costs. You can set up your system so that your outdoor or indoor lights are motion-activated. This way, you won't waste energy having the lights on outside all night long.
Additionally, a smart system can also curb costs due to false alarms because it can tell the difference between an actual intruder and an over-aggressive raccoon.
Get Your Upgrade
Not only will you significantly cut down on energy costs with smart home automation, but you'll also make your home more efficient. With easy access to every part of your home, you know you'll be running a tight ship.
So, if you're ready to step into the future, you're at the right place! Bjorn's has the automation and control options that'll change your life. And if you have any questions, contact our experts! We're happy to guide you through every step.