Smart Homes Can Lower the Summer Energy Bill

Summer is fast approaching. The first day of Summer will be on June 20, 2021. However, if you live in the southern states, your air conditioner has already been on for a month or two. No one looks forward to those house cooling utility bills during the excessively hot months. Add to that, the kids home from school going in and out of that front door all day. According to a report by Direct Energy, your HVAC uses 46% of your home’s energy. This is followed by your water heater at 14%, other appliances at 13%, and lights with a 9% usage. Most have heard that integrating smart home devices into the home saves you time and money. Not only that, it adds to your home security system to give you an extra layer of protection. Exactly how is this done? Here are just a few ways.

Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats use a Wi-Fi signal to receive commands and schedules from your smartphone. You can manually make adjustments to your home’s temperature while you are away or have a schedule already programmed. But wait, some people may say that a simple programmable thermostat can do the same thing, right? True, but that takes a lot of programming and constant adjustments to make sure it stays on your schedule. The difference is that the smart thermostat is not just programmable but also uses analytics that ties in with the home’s other smart devices.

The smart thermostat uses your daily routine to “learn” your habits. It will start to identify when you will be gone or arrive back home. In addition, geofencing allows the thermostat to recognize you pulling in the driveway and make the adjustment necessary for your arrival home. Another area it can save you is monitoring your contact sensors. When your thermostat detects an open window or door, it makes adjustments so as to not waste energy. Your app keeps you informed as to your energy usage, the status of the A/C, and any issues that may need to be changed to get the best efficiency.

Appliances

Have you ever left the house for work and wondered if you left the coffee pot on or the curling iron on? These may be small items, but besides being a dangerous fire hazard, the little costs add up. When you install smart plugs in the home, any device that plugs into them will be added to your app for remote control. Check your app and see if anything was left on and remotely turn it off if it is. If you can plug it in, then you can check on it. These are money-saving features that add up over time and also keep your home safe. Many appliances are now coming on the market with smart home capabilities. People love the convenience, the control, and mostly, the savings.

Lighting

Everyone has left a light on unnecessarily more than once. Today’s smart homes may contain smart bulbs and smart switches. Smart bulbs are internet-connected LED light bulbs that you control with an app. They can be customized for schedules, controlled remotely, and even change the color or brightness with your smartphone. Smart switches can also control your lighting either with this wall switch manually or remotely. Never worry about leaving your lights on again. Even better, be able to program them or remotely turn them on for your arrival home in the dark.

Smart Budget

The above-mentioned items are only a few of the endless possibilities with smart home devices. The main key is having remote control and programming to manage your main energy users in the home. Give us a call at True Home Protection to find out more ways to save. The best part is that not only do you save energy and money, but it adds to the safety of your home. Smart home security is environmentally friendly and the way to the future. Don’t get left behind!