Smart Lighting, Big Savings: Cost Effective Tech Solutions to Minimize Your Energy Bills

Save Money & Become Environmentally Friendly By Making Your Home Smarter In Arizona

Homeowners are always looking for ways to save on energy bills. While there are some tedious ways to do this, such as unplugging appliances when not in use or manually turning off extra light fixtures, those methods aren’t practical for most people and are likely to end in frustration. An alternative that will save you money and be a little friendlier toward the earth is to install power efficient tech accessories into your home. These gadgets are easy for anyone to operate and can be used whether you rent or own. A Scottsdale home automation company can help you wade through the options and choose the best devices for your home.

Some smart tech pieces stand on their own, such as a smart thermostat, while others reduce the amount of power your appliances utilize. Smart accessories help you avoid losing money to a phenomenon called “vampire power,” which describes the way appliances drain small amounts of energy when they’re plugged in, even though they’re turned off and are not actually being used. Vampire power can cost up to a couple hundred dollars a year. Here are some top ways to save money and reduce your energy usage at the same time.

Smart Thermostat

One of the best ways to reduce your utility bills is to install a smart thermostat available through your local Scottsdale home automation company. These handy devices give you remote control over your HVAC system. No need to leave your heating or cooling units running constantly when you’re not home, or waiting for your AC to kick in and cool things down when you get back from work – your smart thermostat can be controlled through an app on your phone, through your WiFi network, or from a device such as the Amazon Echo. Set a schedule to let your thermostat know when you’ll be returning home so the temperature will be just right when you arrive. Your smart thermostat can even learn your schedule over time so that heating and cooling become even more efficient.

Smart Light Bulbs

These help reduce your energy bills the way a smart thermostat does: by giving you more control over your tech and home. Smart light bulbs can be controlled through phone apps or voice controls. Turn your lights on or off, or dim them to use less energy, through Amazon Echo or the phone app. You can even set a schedule with your lighting systems so that your home is perfectly lit when you arrive and forgotten lights can be automatically turned off when no one is using the room.

Battery-Powered Smart Security Cameras

Battery powered smart security cameras eliminate the need to choose between installing a security system and making your home more energy efficient. Smart security cameras are pocket-sized, can run for months or even years on basic AA batteries, and provide ultra-clear footage. Some models even offer infrared night vision so your home is well-monitored after dark. Smart security cameras will send a notification to your phone whenever motion is detected, and automatically saves the video clip to the cloud so you can view it later. Ask your Scottsdale smart home automation company which smart home security camera is right for you.

Smart outlets

Replacing all of your appliances with models that are more energy-efficient is a huge and expensive project, but one simple way to work with what you have is to install smart outlets, which allow you to control the power through your devices. If re-installing outlets isn’t possible for you, try Amazon smart plug, which connects directly into an existing outlet. When you plug something into a smart plug, you can turn it on or off through your smartphone, Echo, or Alexa. The smart plug can be especially useful for appliances that run all the time, such as microwaves and stoves, but aren’t actually being used the majority of that time. It would be too tedious to plug and unplug those appliances every time you needed to use them, but a smart plug will do the work for you automatically. It can turn off your microwave while you’re sleeping and then have it turned back on and ready to go when you wake up, so you can prevent vampire energy usage without any inconvenience.

Home Automation Services in Scottsdale

If you’re ready to have a smarter home, reach out to Stabley Home Entertainment Specialists. Our Scottsdale home automation experts can walk you through the available options for your home and help you choose the most cost effective devices. Our goal is always to simplify your life, not complicate it, so everyone in your home can use your smart devices with ease. Check out our selection of top quality brands to smarten up your home and help you save on your energy bills.