Switching to smart appliances is an effective and popular way to increase energy savings. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the most popular home automation technologies are not those used for entertainment or cooking, but those that support increased energy efficiency. Nearly half of all U.S. households make use of at least one home automation device, and the most popular option is a smart thermostat.

Smart Adjustments

Smart thermostats show you how much energy your heating and cooling system uses in real time. This information helps you identify areas where you can improve energy savings. You can program your thermostat to adjust to changes in air temperature and humidity, and it learns to use less power when no one is home. Setting the furnace to run a few degrees cooler throughout the night represents a monetary savings that falls between 10 and 15 percent.

Remote Access

Control energy usage when you are away from home by combining automation with mobile technology. Connect remotely to your smart thermostat, and adjust your home’s temperature for energy savings. Turn lights on inside and outside your house to give potential intruders the impression that somebody is always home. When you are leaving the office, prepare the house for your return by switching on a porch light.

Energy Savings

Use fewer natural resources by adopting automated home appliances. Heating and cooling appliances use more than half of the total energy you consume. Smart thermostats, which monitor and manage run times and temperatures, allow for an energy savings of as much as 33 percent. Saving energy with smart appliances goes beyond the thermostat, however. According to a Louisiana State University study, more than half of the electricity used in domestic lighting is wasted. Using automated dimmers and timers both increases efficiency and extends the life of light bulbs.

Money Savings

The average American family spends an average of $1300(need to cite this) annually on energy bills. Home automation has the potential to reduce that amount by around one-third. Smart lights and thermostats are always within your control, eliminating the energy waste caused by simple forgetfulness. In some parts of the country, tiered pricing makes energy more expensive at peak times. Programming your automated appliance controls with these spikes in mind helps to keep your utility costs low.

Utility companies increasingly encourage customers to use smart, programmable appliance controls whenever possible. These sensitive electronics both reduce the energy load for consumers and help keep providers within guidelines that expect increased energy efficiency. The demand for smart thermostats and other responsive, automated appliances represents a step into a greener, more manageable future.