5 Tips to Save Energy this Winter
Did you leave the thermostat heat too high when you left for work or the lights on in your living room when you went skiing for the weekend? There are plenty of ways your home may be wasting energy, water, and money.
A Smart Home Security System doesn’t just protect your home it can help improve your home’s energy efficiency and save you money. Here are 5 Smart Home Automation tips that can help save you energy.
Take Control of Your Home’s Heating
Your home’s heating and cooling system consumes more energy than any other appliance. Reducing unnecessary use can translate into savings each month. Smart Thermostats can help homeowners conserve between 16-23% energy, translating into savings on your monthly utility bill.
Smart thermostats and temperature sensors can adjust to your home’s energy needs. Lowering the temperature when no one is home and activating again when you return to eliminate waste. Coupled with additional sensors, your Smart Thermostat protects your home by detecting freezing temperatures or humidity in your home and adjusting accordingly.
A Smart Thermostat can also be remotely activated, so you can adjust it even when you are not home.
Avoid The Big Freeze
Temperature sensors don’t just keep you comfortable, they can save you a lot of frustration and expense as well. If you are away and your home gets too cold you could risk frozen and burst pipes. No one wants to come home to a flooded basement. A Smart Home Security system can monitor vulnerable parts of your home and help protect it. Adjusting the heat or notifying you if there is an issue that puts your home at risk such as a winter power outage.
Drip Drip Drip
Another smart device that can not only save you money on your water bill but could also save you from a big cost is a Water leak sensor. These can be installed under sinks, hot water tanks, and laundry rooms to detect the presence of a leak. They can text or email you about a water problem, so you are aware even if you are not at home. Early detection can help avoid wasting water or having to deal with potentially serious flood damage.
Why Is Every Light in The House On?
Smart lights allow you to take control of your home’s lighting from anywhere. You can turn off a light in the kitchen from bed with your phone or turn up your living room lights with voice control. You can create scenes, or preprogrammed lighting, triggering numerous devices with a single command. Turn down the lights for movie night, lights out at bedtime, or any number of combinations for your convenience.
Smart lighting fixtures and bulbs are not just more convenient, but they can help improve energy efficiency. Your Smart Home Security system can be programmed to turn off lights when you aren’t home and turn them on again when you return. No more fumbling in the dark and no more wasted energy because you left a light on.
Watch Out for Energy Vampires
Many home electronics are always drawing energy, even when they are not in use. The worst of these “energy vampires” are smartphone and laptop chargers and devices with active-standby modes, like TVs. Unplugging these devices while they are not in use can eliminate this drain, but it is a hassle. A smart outlet or power strip automatically detects and cuts off power to devices in standby mode or not in use.
The total energy expenditure of miscellaneous non-essential appliances accounts for approximately 20% of the energy use in an average home. By switching to smart plugs and outlets, this plug load can be reduced by as much as 50%!
Coupled with energy-efficient appliances and properly sealed windows and doors Smart Home Automation can make a big difference in your home’s energy consumption. This will help save you money on your energy bills and is good for the environment. Speak with one of our Security Consultants to learn how you can leverage Smart Home Automation in your home.
