How Smart Homes Help You Save Money
Do smart homes save energy? Most of us would say yes. But do these fancy, futuristic homes also help save money? Not sure. As unbelievably cool as these devices look, but are they helpful in cutting the energy costs. Most smart home products are designed to use energy optimally and reduce consumption. The cumulative long term savings are worth the initial investment in smart homes. Smart homes easily start reaping benefits in a span of a year or two. How do smart appliances contribute to saving more money?

Smart thermostats improve heating/ cooling efficiencies

Thermostats regulate the temperature to maintain your home at an optimum temperature depending on the weather. But they aren’t ‘smart’ enough to understand your usage and accordingly maintain the temperature as per your needs independently. Smart thermostats are elegantly designed based on AI principles and powerful technology that sense your needs and automatically heat or cool the home as per your optimal requirements. They are designed to save energy by efficient use of your heating and cooling devices. Products like Ecobee and Nest Thermostats are proven to save up to 25% on energy expenditure yearly.

2. Smart blinds that work as insulators to prevent heat loss

Smart blinds are connected through Wi-Fi and IFTTT to associated appliances like the thermostat that cover windows when the heating or cooling devices are turned on. The lack of proper insulation can drain more energy even if a thermostat is being employed. There may be several instances when you forget to close the windows while the air conditioner is working. Smart blinds automatically cover window panes as soon as the thermostat is active and insulates the house to prevent energy loss. And energy saved, is money saved.

3. Smart hubs auto-control all appliances

The master controlling unit of a smart home is the hub to which all devices are connected. Smart home controllers like Alexa, Google assistant or B.One Hub control all appliances they are connected to. They switch off appliances that are not in use or left on standby after a period of time.

A lot of energy is used by the appliances left on standby. The smart hubs allow the smart homeowner to remotely control the appliances thereby minimizing energy loss. You can easily turn off or on any appliance sitting right at your desk using a simple app and prevent loss of energy.

4. Smart lighting that uses cleaner energy

Smart lighting is a multi-dimensional solution to all the lighting needs of a smart home. Lighting is known to use up to 12% of energy, which although is a high percentage usually goes unnoticed. LED-based smart lights consume 70–75% lesser energy than the regular CFL lights. There is so much you can do with smart lighting. You can customize the kind of lighting you require depending on the time of the day, season and your mood. You can set lights to auto switch on/off as per your daily routine, alternate lighting programs and remotely control lights left on.

5. Smart plugs actively monitor the energy usages

Credit: Wemo Smart Plug

Smart plugs are a revolutionary creation that can turn any appliance into a smart appliance by plugging it into these smart plugs. They monitor the energy consumed by the appliances and help use them more efficiently. Smart plugs can be controlled using a single hub from a mobile app or voice commands.

Smart homes present a holistic approach to better living. The long-term benefits of smart homes are unquestionably high. Smart homes can help save up to 45% money otherwise spent on the energy you don’t actually require. Smart homes are the future.
['Alex Bryan']
['Smart Home', 'B One Hub', 'Smart Lighting', 'Smart Home Products', 'Smart Thermostat']