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The home of today is becoming unlike any other home in the past. How energy-efficient will the home of tomorrow be?<\/p>\n
Only time will tell.<\/p>\n
For now, learn about the main smart home upgrades to improve your energy efficiency.<\/p>\n
By the way, we\u2019ll skip the talk about smart thermostats (just remember they\u2019re probably the biggest smart energy saver) because you\u2019ve heard about those many times on this blog already:<\/p>\n
1. Timers, Motion Detectors, and Dimmers<\/strong><\/p>\n Granted, because of LEDs, lighting doesn\u2019t cost nearly as much as it used to. Now, you can drive down the cost of lighting even further with a few simple updates.<\/p>\n Add motion detectors to your garage, hallways, and bathrooms. Never worry about forgetting to turn the lights off again.<\/p>\n Dimmer switches work well for your living room or dining room. You can even preset brightness levels to your liking.<\/p>\n Timers work best for porch and outdoor lights, which you may use for security or just to celebrate the holidays.<\/p>\n 2. Automatic Irrigation <\/strong><\/p>\n Water bills can easily get out of control when it gets dry. But that\u2019s no problem with an automatic irrigation system that monitors the local weather and waters your lawn accordingly.<\/p>\n These systems even let you monitor your water usage.<\/p>\n You can also program schedules if you prefer.<\/p>\n 3. Smart Appliances<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes. They have a cost up-front. However, if you\u2019re going to replace your current appliances anyway why not invest in smart ones?<\/p>\n You\u2019ll get better energy savings over the life of your appliance that you didn\u2019t in the past.<\/p>\n Many also come with \u201csmart grid\u201d capabilities. That means they can have a two-way relationship with your electricity provider, if they support such technology.<\/p>\n The benefit of that is that your electricity company may recognize your appliance and send it electricity made from renewable resources.<\/p>\n Or, it may work together with your appliance to minimize your electricity usage and save you more money.<\/p>\n