Image by Dan LeFebvre from Unsplash
Smart home tech makes it easy to find information in an instant, turn on or off the television without getting up and even see who just rang your doorbell, but it can also help you be more energy efficient. Saving energy does more than just cut your electric bills, it allows you to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle.
Incorporating one or more of these energy saving smart home tools into your own routine can help you save money, live comfortably and conserve energy, all at the same time. In most cases, simple upgrades or changes are all that is needed to make the switch to updated, convenient and eco-friendly home tech.
Designed to automatically adjust your home’s temperature to your specified settings, a smart thermostat ensures you are not overpaying to heat or cool your home. Because you can set it and forget it, you can enter your preferred temperatures and not worry about constantly adjusting the thermostat to get comfortable or to try to cut your electric bill.
Smart thermostats help you save in other ways. If you need your home to be cozy and warm when you get home, but don’t want to pay to heat an empty house while you are at school or work, then you can use your smartphone to set the thermostat to the setting you want before you head home. You’ll arrive to a cozy house at the perfect temperature, but won’t have to pay for the home to stay warm all day.
No matter what smart home technology you have in place, a virtual assistant like Alexa makes it easy to make the most of your technology. Ask Alexa to dim the lights, control the security systems or even adjust the thermostat. Being able to interact with Alexa allows you to make immediate changes that let you use energy more wisely, without a lot of added effort.
Your specific home setup could have some distinct energy benefits you are not aware of or taking advantage of. Install a smart phone app to let you know what you could be doing at home to conserve energy. Some track your existing use so you can identify your peak consumers of energy (are you doing too many loads of laundry or cooling the home while you are not even there). Others help you assess your current energy use and help you find additional savings.
Switching out conventional bulbs for smart versions takes only seconds, but can significantly improve the energy efficiency of your home. Once you install smart bulbs, you’ll be able to control your lights from your phone, even when you are not at home. This allows you to turn off those forgotten lights or switch lights on just before you arrive home. Using smart bulbs you control from your phone also enhances your home security, because it is easy to turn lights off and on so it looks like someone is home.
Using one or more of these innovative smarthome devices for more than convenience can help you cut your energy consumption and lower your energy bills. You'll love the savings and the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are doing your part for the environment.
Aryn Hellmund is an Austin native and graduate of Westlake High School. Growing up as the child of a realtor exposed her to Austin’s residential real estate scene early in her life and today she still finds herself bouncing marketing ideas off of her mom.
Aryn holds a GRI* designation and brings all of her experience and valuable skills to COMPASS RE || Austin Residential Group. Working with Heather Hudson and a dedicated team of realtors who work together seamlessly to always exceed their clients’ expectations.
Although she feels comfortable assisting clients in many areas of Austin, Aryn is especially familiar with her old Westlake neighborhoods of Rob Roy, Lost Creek, Rollingwood, Thousand Oaks and Commons Ford. In addition, she has lived in and is familiar with Barton Creek, Tarrytown, Pemberton, Circle C, Northwest Hills and now lives in Southwest Austin near Bee Cave, Spanish Oaks, and Lake Travis.