Reduce energy consumption at home and and lower your monthly utility bill with the help of home automation technology. Forgetting to turn things off such as lights, televisions, and other various electronic devices is something we do everyday. As humans, we’re not perfect. In fact, we’re forgetful. Whether we’re trying to get our children ready for school in the mornings to being preoccupied with our smartphones as we leave for the day, it has become really easy for us to leave home with devices left on.

Unfortunately, doing such things can waste a lot of energy and at the same time fatten the utility bill to the point many of us are left scratching our heads wondering what happened? Why is the electric bill so high? This is where home automation can help. Below you’ll find home automation products that can not only minimize energy waste, but also lower your monthly electric bill.

Smart Thermostats

According to Energy Star, the average household spends more than $1,900 a year on energy costs with about half it going towards heating and cooling, making it the largest energy expense of of U.S. homes. By adding a smart thermostat to your property, you’ll be able to manage and control the temperature of your home a lot easier all while reducing your utility bill. There are smart thermostats that have Wi-Fi connectivity, which will allow you to control it using a smartphone. You’ll have the freedom to manage the temperatures and schedules on the go, something that could come in handy in case you forget to turn off the AC before leaving the house. Some smart thermostats can optimize your HVAC system to make them operate more efficiently while others can be programmed to turn on or off with the help of motion detectors. For example, motion detectors can communicate with a smart thermostat to set a certain temperature in a room when motion is detected. And when the room is empty and motion is no longer detected, the thermostat can be set to turn off. Some smart thermostats can also be programmed with weekly schedules, allowing you to control the temperature at home at various times of the day instead of having to do it manually, which could be an issue if you forget to turn it off. During the workweek you can have the temperature set to 75 degrees in the mornings and evenings when you’re home but have it turned off when you’re away at work.

Smart Lighting

Leaving the lights on is something that all of us have done at one point or another and for some of us it’s a bad habit that probably won’t change anytime soon. According to the EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) lighting makes up 11% of the total electricity consumed by U.S. households, so one can only wonder how much of that is wasted energy. There are various ways you can control lighting at home to reduce energy consumption. One simple way is to use occupancy sensors. The way occupancy sensors work is with motion detection technology. So basically, when someone enters a room and movement is detected, the lights will turn on. When the person leaves the room and motion is no longer detected, the lights will turn off. It’s that simple and probably one of the easiest ways to control home lighting. Another way is with the use of a home automation controller. As the brains of any home automation system, it controls a variety of systems from home security to home lighting. Some controllers will allow you to create lighting scenes to have certain lights turn on at various times of the day and turn off at other times. The ability to do this means you won’t have to worry about accidentally leaving the lights on anymore since they’ll automatically turn off at a specific time. You can have the lights automatically turn off in the mornings at 9:00 a.m. because you know that by 8:30 a.m. everyone is typically gone for the day.

Open/Close Curtains Remotely

Did you know you can keep your home cool and at the same time save energy costs just by closing draperies over windows that get direct sunlight? According to energy.gov, studies demonstrate that medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33%. This means by closing the curtains over your windows, you could give your air conditioner a break by leaving it off, which will help reduce energy costs. And what's even better - there are devices that can automatically do this via voice commands (using Alexa), a simple push of a remote control button, a smartphone app, or with a slight tug of the curtain. The Somfy Drapery Opener System can do just that. Somfy offers Drapery Motors, remote controls, and other accessories that will automate your window coverings, which means you can open/close your drapes from the other side of the room or remain comfortably on the couch.

Home automation is well worth the investment when it comes to saving energy. If you want to reduce energy consumption at home and reduce your utility bill, Home Controls can help. Just call our toll-free number at 858-693-8887 (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific, Monday – Friday) and we’ll more than happy to assist you with free support and product advice.