5 Ways You Can Save Money with Smart Home Tech

When you think about saving money at home, what are some of the practices that come to mind? It’s probably something like remembering to shut off lights, make sure faucets are fully closed off, or take shorter showers. They sound like obvious habits, but making sure they’re done every day is easier said than done. There’s a simpler way! Don’t sacrifice comfort save money with smart home technology!

Complete Climate Control

Nearly half of your home’s energy costs are tied to your heating and cooling (HVAC) system. Unless you’ve invested in a programmable or WiFi-controlled thermostat, your HVAC system is probably falling short of its efficiency potential.  It might run while you’re gone, heat/cool rooms not in use, and rely on you to constantly adjust the temperature.

Automated temperature control and zoning capabilities affect only rooms that are occupied and reach the desired temperature much faster. The streamlined performance improved your HVA energy use exponentially, reducing your heating and cooling expenses.

Excellent Electric Efficiency

Leave the room, turn it off! We heard it when we were younger and it’s something we tell our kids all the time. Still, rummaging through remotes, trekking across the house to the rec room, or climbing down the stairs at night to make sure the TV is shut down can be a hassle. You’re busy! We get it.

With smart home technology, you’ll never leave a light, television, or other appliance running longer than necessary again. Strategic placement of occupancy sensors and motion detectors does the work for you, so you can spend your time and energy doing something else and save money with smart home tech.

Total Lighting Control

Lighting is another area in your home that may be extremely inefficient. If you leave your home for the day and forget to flip the switch, that has an obvious impact. But think about when you move around your home from room to room leaving lights in your wake. These kinds of inefficiencies are a non-issue with a well-designed smart home system.

Timing-based lighting control systems can be optimized on a schedule so lights instantly turn on when and where you need them. Motion sensor lights can make sure you’re only powering the rooms actively in use. Certain bulbs have an impact on electricity usage and operating life, both of which affect energy costs. What’s more, you can use dimmers to reduce wattage and output to save energy.

No Wasted Water

Smart shower heads and touchless faucets are definitely ways to cut back on water waste. But while kitchens and bathrooms are the first places we often think of when it comes to saving, outdoor water use is a big factor. Per the EPA, nearly 1/3 of your water consumption is outdoors, and about 50% of it is wasted. Just think about that: 15% of your total water consumption could be wasted before you even take a look inside.

Just like lighting and home security is controlled by a single device, smart irrigation systems work similarly to stop waste and save money. Newer models even react to real-time weather so you don’t have to give it a second thought.

Smart Home Saves on Insurance

Beyond energy savings, automated technologies can reduce home insurance costs. Although insurance companies are in the business of paying claims, they also want to prevent them and mitigate loss. They understand home automation lessens the incidence of claims due to fire and water damage as well as theft.

Automated systems with security features, smoke, flood, carbon monoxide, and other detectors may make you eligible for a generous discount on your home insurance policy. Some insurance companies offer up to a 20% reduction in premiums for having certain systems installed.

Start Saving, One Step at a Time!

With smart home technologies, you’re in control over more than just the intelligence, safety, and comfort of your home. You’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to your energy bills. Check out any residential energy expense breakdown and you’ll see just how much impact home automation and smart technologies can make on your consumption and monthly expenses.

Interested in learning more about how you and your family can benefit from smart home automation? Contact Livewire today!