How smart is your home?
Save time, money and energy with 4 easy-to-get-your-head-around home tech devices.
Posted on Friday, August 19, 2022
With energy prices set to skyrocket in the autumn, smart tech is an efficient way to manage an area of your finances, by only using the energy you need, and only paying for the energy you use.
And all you need to get in the game is a smartphone.
Smart homes are fitted with multiple devices able to communicate, in order to keep the home operational, even if you’re not there. These devices can monitor and control energy use throughout the home, provide security and can even throw the hoover around.
It can be like having support staff keeping your home as you like it in your absence and that includes being secure. According to Which? 89% of burglars said a smart home would put them off targeting a property.
This overview makes the case for teching out at least a few areas of your home with some genuinely useful gizmos.
1) Smart thermostats
These offer more sophisticated control of your heating than a traditional thermostat. They allow you to control the temperature of your home remotely, so you can turn up the heating using the smartphone app when you’re on your way home. Some even support motion sensors or GPS tracking to adjust the temperature automatically when you enter and leave home.
Turning your thermostat down just by one degree can save you 10% on your energy bills.
2) Virtual Assistant
Many of us love them, but do we use them too much like “...play Break My Soul” and not enough like “...turn the heating off upstairs”?
With the Amazon ecosystem being one of the most prevalent, the majority of smart products integrate seamlessly with it, including products made by Philips, Samsung and Nest.
These Virtual Assistants 'talk' to our apps, to turn off the lights, close the garage, lock the doors and adjust the temperature. Devices that work with Alexa for example have a ‘Works with Amazon Alexa’ tag.
3) Thermal leak detector
This gizmo can save up to 20% on your heating bills by improving the insulation in your home. It monitors the ducts, windows and other vulnerable spots in your home. When you scan the area with the detector it changes to red for warmer spots and blue for colder spots, informing you instantly of where your energy is escaping.
And using a leak detector can save you up to 20% on your bills.
4) Smart plugs
They enable you to turn your devices on and off from your smartphone and set them up on scheduled timers, and can be bought for as little as a fiver.
While the other bonus of smart plugs isn’t so energy saving, it does give homeowners comfort while away, and that’s to bring on a light or two while you’re away to give the impression you’re home.
Other savings can be made simply by better using the tech we already have, like LED light bulbs and having motion sensors on outdoor lighting.
And this year might be the one we get smart about managing our thermostats properly, and adjusting them as temperatures, seasons and fuel prices shift and shock us! This is the surest way to save on energy costs in the short term.
And remember to be creative about narrowing heat sources to where you need it most this Autumn. Hot water bottle, anyone?
Estates East Team
Call us >> 020 8520 9300
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