As smart home systems and devices become more and more popular, some homeowners may wonder about how much electricity their new system consumes. After all, while a smart home energy system allows you to turn your air conditioning on or off remotely, your thermostat must always be turned on and consuming power to receive these commands. Is the energy usage necessary for smart homes worth it?
It’s common for homeowners to choose smart home technology, especially learning thermostats or lighting systems, to help reduce their power bill. Though some may wonder if the necessity of having an always-on device might consume more power than it’s worth, most smart appliances are designed with energy-efficiency in mind. The ultimate amount of power consumed depends on the homeowners. Let’s take a closer look at a good smart home energy management strategy.
Increased Technology Usage & Expectations
As technology becomes more prevalent and easier to use, naturally we’ve been using our devices more and expecting more from them. Consumers also tend to buy multiple similar devices as they become cheaper and easier to use. And even energy-efficient devices use power, and the more of them there are, the more power is consumed. An increase in your power bill might be a consequence of putting a larger workload on your existing technology.
Homeowner Habits
Simple energy-saving habits you learned as a kid are still relevant when it comes to managing your smart home’s power consumption. Do you leave the lights on even when you leave the room? Is your air conditioner constantly running or turned to an unreasonably low temperature? Are some of your appliances outdated and wasting power? Your habits have a greater influence on your power costs than you think.
Pro Tip: Even with the latest and greatest technology, your habits dictate how much electricity your smart home uses. Keep an eye on your energy consumption.
Keeping Your Smart Home Energy-Efficient
To keep your power bill at a reasonable level, start by changing a few problematic habits. If you don’t need a light on, turn it off. Even if you have energy-efficient lightbulbs, not running them constantly will help reduce a slow drain of electricity. See what other appliances you can replace with more efficient models or simply use less frequently.
If your smart home system is installed and running at this point, take full advantage of it to monitor and reduce your overall energy usage. Use your universal control remote to manually switch devices off when you don’t need them, or program your preferences into the system so everything powers off automatically. Don’t leave a device to run and drain power indefinitely if you aren’t actively using it.
Smart Home Energy Management
At the end of the day, just like in a home without smart appliances, the amount of power you consume ultimately depends on your habits. Your system may learn from your daily activity, but if it learns that you tend to leave the lights on all night and keep your air conditioning running nearly constantly, it will continue this pattern and consume even more power in the process. It’s up to you to program your smart system to save energy and help you develop new habits.
Join the conversation for more ideas on how to keep your power bill manageable in your new smart home system.
