Looking for easy ways to save more money on your monthly energy bills? Beyond some of the more traditional energy efficiency measures, such as sealing air leaks or adding additional insulation, there are several popular electronics that can help you use energy more efficiently.
These devices are relatively easy to incorporate into your home, making them a simple way to help manage your energy use.
Smart thermostats are becoming an increasingly popular option to help save energy at home. With smart thermostats, there’s no longer a need to constantly adjust the temperature. They can be programmed to follow a pattern of heating and cooling throughout the day and year to maximize your comfort and energy use. Some advanced smart thermostats can even learn your habits and adjust the temperature accordingly. Another great benefit is the ability to control a smart thermostat remotely from an app on your phone, allowing you to set the temperature to your liking before you even arrive home. Lastly, some smart thermostats can be integrated with a smart home hub, like Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Smart thermostats can be pricey upfront, but if it’s time to upgrade your home’s thermostat, smart options offer more convenience and savings that make them worth the initial investment.
If you’re looking for ways to save energy on a budget, consider smart plugs. Smart plugs can be inserted into an standard electrical outlet and can help you manage the energy of the devices that are plugged in. With control of the smart plug, you can stop power-hungry devices from being on longer than necessary. Some smart plug models have a scheduling option, allowing you to turn on lights or turn off the TV at certain times of the day. Others offer a dimming function, allowing you to change the brightness of lights plugged into the smart plug. These features can be controlled through an app on your phone, and some models also have voice-controlled options with connected to a smart home hub.
Another useful tool is the home energy monitor, which you can use with your SmartHub account. SmartHub helps you monitor home energy use and set energy budgets. If your goal is to reduce your energy use at home, you can use the information to make changes to the way you use energy and achieve this goal. SmartHub can give you hourly readings, daily readings, or compare use over time. You can set thresholds to let you know when you reach a certain level of energy use for a day. All of this information is available on your phone through the SmartHub app our through our website at www.ncelec.org.
These simple devices can help you save a little more energy each month. Considering hat your needs are will help you choose a device with the appropriate features. As with any new product, do some homework first to determine which device suits your home best.