Smart Energy Essentials You Didn’t Know You Needed

In an increasingly connected world, it’s not unusual for our homes to become intertwined with and influenced by the constantly developing technology around us. Every day there are new devices becoming available that can connect our homes to the rest of the world. And a lot of these devices are associated with either increasing our personal security or improving our home's efficiency. From door locks and video cameras to lightbulbs and thermostats, our lives are becoming reliant on the convenience and efficiency offered by smart technology. And while convenience is, well, convenient, efficiency has the potential to be a total game-changer when it comes to managing your home. How? To start, smart technology can optimize your home’s energy resources in a way that not only helps you save money — but that helps you save the planet.

With so many options out there, what are some of the basic smart technology devices that’ll make your house more modern, more energy-efficient, and more impactful? Here are some of the must-have smart technology essentials that will revolutionize your home's energy efficiency.

A smart home app

One of the main benefits of using smart devices in your home is that they make your life more convenient. Unfortunately, with so many different devices that each rely on their own unique apps to operate, schedule, and control them, you'll quickly find yourself overwhelmed by their total lack of convenience. Suddenly your smart devices don't feel all that smart anymore and, chances are, you might even stop using them altogether. So, save yourself the stress and download an app that provides you with a more unified experience. There are lots of apps available that will integrate each of your smart devices so that you can control them all from one place.

At its core, a smart home is an interconnected arrangement of devices that communicate with one another and perform specific daily tasks so that you don't have to. And a smart home app will be able to help you create the perfect technological ecosystem of devices in your home. It's not just about connecting all your devices — it's about creating a holistic relationship between you and the energy you use in your home.

A smart thermostat

Nothing says comfort quite like climate control. And smart thermostats are a revolutionary way to keep your home the right temperature at the right time, no matter what. As an added bonus, they can also help you save energy without sacrificing comfort by heating or cooling your home at optimum times — without you needing to lift a finger. Unlike traditional thermostats where you set everything manually, the smart thermostat remembers your preferences for you. It learns your typical schedule and adjusts your home's temperature accordingly, helping you use less energy when you're not home. And it still provides you with the flexibility to change settings on the fly on your smart phone from wherever you are.

Smart lighting

If you're trying to conserve energy (and money), smart lights can be a good way to go. All smart light bulbs are LEDs and consume far less electricity than incandescent and even fluorescent bulbs. A typical smart bulb is 5.5W (candle bulbs), which is roughly equivalent to a 60W incandescent bulb in terms of brightness. Another basic feature of smart bulbs is that you can dim many of them without having to install dimmer switches in your home. Smart light bulbs give you the ability to customize your home's lighting from anywhere at any time and with greater efficiency, all from the palm of your hand.

Smart plugs

If you're looking to cut down on wasted electricity, smart plugs and switches are the way to go. They cut down significantly on the energy that's being pulled even when devices are turned off, also known as "vampire draw," and they're the easiest and cheapest way to make any appliance in your home a little smarter. They regulate the power being generated by the plug or switch and can control portable A/C units, smart TVs, AV systems, and various small appliances without your needing to be in the room — or the country, for that matter. With them, you'll be able to wirelessly control all of the above from the convenience of your smart phone.

There are many other smart home products that you can integrate into your home's smart ecosystem, but from our point of view, these are the devices that will make the biggest difference in reducing your home's energy usage. And while there are lots of other perspectives and devices to choose from out there, the ones we listed above all have something really important in common: they can help reduce your energy usage and your environmental impact.

Interested in learning more about ways that your home can have a positive impact? Find out how using clean energy can reduce your home's impact even further.