Save On Energy Costs with Home Automation

The average consumer spends approx­i­mately 7.3 percent of his or her total income on energy. As such, reducing energy consumption is one of the best ways to keep more of your hard earned money. A home automation system allows you to reduce energy consumption by elimi­nating wasteful practices and becoming more efficient.

Heating and Cooling

Since up to 48% of your home’s energy consumption comes from heating and cooling, adjusting your thermostat is one of the easiest ways to save money. You can save between five and fifteen percent on your heating bill, simply by setting your thermostat back ten degrees or so while you are at work. The problem with this is that you will have to deal with coming home to a cold house. An automatic thermostat can be programmed to start warming your home an hour or so before you arrive so it is the perfect temperature.

Honeywell’s Z‑Wave® thermostats go a step farther and allow you to create ​“scenes.” For example, you may create a bedtime scene that would automat­i­cally set the temper­ature back and turn off the lights when you go to sleep. This conve­nient features means you’ll never have to worry about forgetting to dial back energy consumption during non-peak periods.

Lights

Another common way in which people waste energy is through lighting. You may be tempted to leave a light on during the day to ensure you do not come home to a dark house. A home automation system allows you to program your lights to come on based upon your schedule. You can set your lights to come on just a few minutes before sundown, or turn them on and off via smart phone at random intervals throughout the day. Being able to control your lights through an app also enhances your home’s security whenever you are away for an extended period of time.

Water

The EPA estimates that ten percent of all homes have a signif­icant leak that wastes at least 90 gallons of water each day. These leaks can wind up raising your water bill by up to ten percent. Fortu­nately, home automation systems also make it easy for you to monitor your home for leaks so that you can fix problems as soon as they occur. Some automation systems even have a feature that will allow you to shut off your water if a devas­tating leak such as a burst pipe is discovered.