Among those resolutions we made this year, many of us probably had financial ones, like save more money or spend less money. (According to one website, two-thirds of us made a 2017 resolution related to finances!)
If you’re one of the majority, here’s a money-saving tip for you: home automation. In the U.S., between 5% and 22% of our after-tax income goes to pay our energy bills. That’s a chunk of change!
A home automation system can help you manage your home’s energy usage to reduce the energy used and the money you pay. Here’s how…
Heating the home
With the right home security or home automation system, you can automate your thermostat to adjust settings throughout the day based on the times someone is home or the house is empty—or someone will soon be home. Or you can control it remotely. Let’s say you’re getting off work late, or the kids will be home from school early (due to one of those notorious half days), and your pre-set settings won’t work. Simply adjust the thermostat remotely from wherever you are.
On all of the other days, however, your home automation system will be sure to turn the heat down when everyone is gone for the day then turn it back up when it’s needed. So everyone is comfortable, but you’re never wasting money (or energy) on an empty house.
Lighting the home
With a home automation system, you can set up lights to turn on and off automatically, just like you can set your thermostat. And just like your thermostat, you can also turn lights on and off remotely. Maybe the kids were the last to leave, and they left all the lights a-blazin’. You’ve got it. Or maybe someone will be coming home to a dark house unless you over-ride your settings. You’ve got that too.
The beauty of a home automation system is that you’re not stuck with whatever you program the home automation system to do. It’s more like the default that will manage your heat and lights for you, but you still have the final say…even when you’re not home.
And this way, you only have lights on when you need the energy (and cost). You can also set up your lights to turn on and off to look like someone is home, in order to deter potential burglars.
Running the appliances
Although this isn’t an option with all home automation systems, some “smart” devices can be synced up to your appliances with real-time energy information, to operate your home appliances when energy is cheapest. If the middle of the night is the cheapest time to run your washing machine, for example, that’s when it will start chugging and churning!
If you’re in the market for a home security system, consider which home automation features you might want in order to lower your energy usage. Then make sure you can make the home automation system work for you and your lifestyle by customizing it to fit your family’s needs and schedule.
