Many homeowners are embracing smart technology. It is famous for being able to provide a better home-life experience, upgrade your security and impress your friends. But did you know that smart home technology can also help you to save electricity?
If you are interested in embracing a greener lifestyle, one of the best ways to do it is to add various forms of smart technology to your home. We spoke with smart technology provider Smart Homes Company about the kinds of appliances and gadgets available on the market that can both provide a modern living experience as well as improving your home’s green credentials.
Intelligent lighting
There multiple different forms of intelligent lighting for you to have installed in your home that can make excellent electricity savings. Voice activated lighting is something that many homes have had for a number of years, but it’s now possible to invest in lights with motion sensors that know when no-one is in the room and respond accordingly.
Lighting paths can be planned through the house so that lights only turn on when you need them. This can be a huge environmental benefit as well as delivering you cost savings through reduced energy consumptions – it’s a win for everyone.
Smart meter
A smart meter is a device that is being introduced by energy companies, and you can have one installed free of charge. The argument is that many of us don’t really understand very well our energy use, and as our meters are typically hidden away it is difficult for us to judge our usage and do anything about it.
A smart meter can provide you with up-to-the-minute readings of your electricity and gas consumption – even showing them on an app on your mobile device or tablet. This makes it easier for you to keep track of how much energy you are using and make relevant changes.
Smart thermostat
Some people assume that a smart thermostat is the same thing as a smart meter, but they are actually very different. With a smart thermostat you can control when your heating turns on and off, once again through an app on your phone. This means you can either easily set on and off times or simply adjust it easily, whether you are home or not.
So if you go out in a hurry and forget that the heating is going to be on all day, you can quickly open up the app and turn the heating off until you get back, avoiding the need to waste money.
Dual flush toilets
While a dual flush toilet won’t necessary save much electricity, it will make a difference to your ability to live green by reducing your water consumption. With the dual flush option you can choose to either use a full-flush or a reduced water flush, depending on your needs. This is definitely something that is worth installing in your home.
Solar panels
If you are looking to invest in a home with real green credentials, there may be nothing better than solar panels. With solar panels you are not just saving electricity in the home, you are actually generating your own clean energy from the roof. Solar panels are undoubtedly an expensive purchase but they begin to pay themselves off quickly thanks to amount of energy you will save.
Of course not all homes can have solar panels, and you may need to have your property evaluated to establish whether or not it is suitable. But this is definitely a great idea if you are looking to go green.
LED light bulbs
Of course one small change that virtually every homeowner can make is the change their current lightbulbs for LED light bulbs. This can be combined with your intelligent lighting technology to add up to a big difference in the amount of electricity you use.
More emphasis must be on saving water to help the environment which in turn will save on other bills.
Be aware of solar panel salesmen, there has been a lot of press lately about how thousands of people were signed up with the promise of massive savings, if they had panels fitted, also cavity wall insulation and new boilers. many have now turned the panels off, but are locked in to paying many years of high rate interest on loans taken out. Please be aware and do your research.
There’s no way I’d have a smart meter installed.
We are constantly being informed that we do not have to have a smart meter installed, so do not be pressurised, also if you are on a so called smart meter, you may well not get the best energy deals on offer.