A Beginner’s Guide to Smart Home Energy Savings

More families are turning to smart technology for their homes, and for good reason. Smart technology provides you with a centralized way to conveniently manage your home’s devices while you’re there and while you’re away. Beyond that, it helps you save on energy costs because it automatically adjusts to your schedule. It can be programmed to change devices on/off status and energy usage as it learns your routine and habits. This automated aspect is what makes it especially attractive to families, as it takes a lot of the thinking out of energy savings.

If you’re new to smart home energy, all of this may sound like gibberish. That’s why we’ve created a beginner’s guide to smart home savings, breaking down some of the most popular and accessible smart home gadgets:

Smart Power Strips

By far the easiest smart home gadgets to get started with are smart power strips. While some smart home upgrades can take a little more money or time to install, smart power strips are an easier, more affordable place to start. You can often find good quality options well under $50. Smart power strips prevent energy vampires, devices that continue to consume power even when they’re off or on standby, from drawing standby power by automatically cutting off the power supply when the device is not in use. Common energy vampires include:

• TVs and video game consoles
• Computers
• Chargers
• Counter-top appliances

Standby power can account for 5-10% of your home’s total energy consumption. Using smart power strips is an affordable way to begin integrating smart home technology into your home and unlocking energy savings. 

Smart Lighting

Once you’ve dipped your toe into smart home tech with smart power strips, you’re ready to dive a little deeper by upgrading to smart lighting. Smart lighting is another super simple way to incorporate more smart home gadgets into your home. Not only do smart light bulbs come with various color and dimming options, so you can always create the perfect ambiance, but most also allow you to control them from your phone. If you forget to switch a light off, all you have to do is press a button on your phone.

Smart bulbs are designed with LED technology, which uses significantly less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs—often up to 75% less! On top of that, many smart bulbs are enhanced by features like scheduling and motion sensors, which reduce how frequently lights are left on and draw unnecessary power.

Smart Appliances

Now, we’re breaking out the big guns. Smart appliances are more of an upfront investment than smart bulbs and smart power strips, but they’re well worth it, considering the money you save on electricity throughout their lifespans. 

Smart kitchen appliances are designed to use less energy than standard models while offering more modern features. They also allow you to reap the benefits of other smart gadgets, including remote controls and scheduling features. You can set your appliances to switch off during peak hours when electricity is more expensive. Smart laundry machines are also designed to use less energy, and dryers even alert you when clothes are dry, so you can stop the cycle and avoid wasting electricity.

Smart Thermostats

You probably know by now that your HVAC system accounts for most of your home’s energy consumption. While you may already try to practice mindful thermostat habits, doing it manually can require a lot of thinking. Smart thermostats take all of the guesswork out of saving energy on heating and cooling your home. 

Along with being able to monitor and control your thermostat settings while you’re away from home, smart thermostats also allow you to maximize your settings based on your schedule. They use algorithms and geofencing to automatically adjust your thermostat settings to avoid unnecessary energy drain, eliminating the need to manually program them. Needless to say, smart thermostats are the key to unlocking significant savings on your power bill. 

Pair Smart Home Tech with Prepaid Power

Now that you know which smart home gadgets can help you reduce your consumption, it’s time to take control of your energy bills by pairing them with prepaid billing. With prepaid power plans, you pay in advance for the power you use, giving you ultimate control over your budget. With no contract requirements, credit checks or deposits, prepaid power is the simplest, most convenient way to power your home and save on your electricity bills. Get started with prepaid power from Pronto Power today by visiting our website or calling (844) 621-2852!