Smart homes are one of the best parts of modern times.
One of the best feelings is getting off work after a long day at the office, showering the day away, and getting into bed. One of the worst feelings is getting comfy in said bed and remembering that you left a light on in the other room or you forgot to lock the door.
Do you:
A) Begrudgingly get out of bed to turn the light off or lock the door, or
B) Remember that your home is a smart home and take care of that annoyance without getting up?
If you haven’t considered implementing smart features in your home, you’re missing out.
What is a smart home?
It’s the way of the future.
Do you remember watching movies as a kid that had unbelievable futuristic gadgets, like robot assistants or a machine that automatically made you breakfast without even lifting a finger? Smart homes make those kinds of conveniences a reality.
This is accomplished by connecting your appliances to smart home systems – in other words, a system to automate specific tasks. The best part is that these tasks are usually remote controlled, so it’s even less work on your part. You can use this feature for almost all of those repetitive tasks you do every day:
- Turning on your sprinklers
- Making coffee
- Controlling the temperature of your house
- Even locking your doors and turning lights on or off
What are the benefits of smart homes?
If saving time by automating repetitive tasks doesn’t entice you, maybe the idea of having greater control over your energy use will.
According to the FAO (Financial Accountability Office of Ontario), the average Ontario household spent $2,165 in 2019 on their energy bills. The majority of that ($1,195) was spent on electricity. That is a lot of money, so it’s no surprise that people are looking for ways to cut costs.
Enter smart home technology.
Each device is designed to work smarter, not harder, making it an ideal solution for cutting down your energy bills.
Think of the things you use in your home on a regular basis: lighting, temperature control, outlets, and your major appliances. All of those things can be controlled via smart home technology.
Smart light bulbs and switches
While it won’t break the bank to leave your lights on when you’re not in the room, the few extra dollars it will cost you can add up. The solution? Smart light bulbs. If you get to the office and remember that you left your bathroom light on, you can fix the problem from your phone!
According to Daisy Energy, leaving a 100-watt lightbulb on for 24 hours a day can cost you almost $100 a year. You probably don’t leave a single light on all day, but you do have more than one light in your home. Leaving all your lights on for even part of the day starts adding up quickly.
You can even use smart lights outside. Not only do they set the mood with very little effort on your part, they can enhance home security. If you have kids who are coming home after you’re in bed, you can set the lights to come on around the time you know they’ll arrive. No more fiddling with their keys in the dark.
Smart thermostats
If you’re a stickler for your home’s temperature, you can control it without having to get up from your spot on the couch. The technology is so advanced that it can learn your family’s routines so that it can heat or cool your house based on whether or not it’s occupied. You won’t have to worry about controlling the temperature when you’re away for an extended period of time.
Nest Energy released a study that showed how the average household could save 10–12 percent on heating costs and 15 percent on cooling by using a smart thermostat.
Smart plugs
If you’re still skeptical about switching to a fully automated home, consider starting small with smart plugs.
They’re a gentle way to ease you into the world of smart homes and the benefits are unmatched. Once you get them set up, you can program them to do many things: schedule the device that’s plugged in to start working at certain times, view your energy consumption, and even remotely turn the devices on and off. Now you don’t have to spend more time than you’d like to admit wondering if you actually unplugged your hair straightener or you’re just imagining it.
Are you ready to save time, energy, and money?
Upgrading your appliances and plugs to use smart technology may be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. What other invention saves you from having to get up once you finally get comfortable because you forgot to turn the light off? Or saves you from worrying about whether or not you unplugged something before leaving the house?
If you want more information or you want to see how you can upgrade your home, contact us today for a free quote.