Welp MagazineHave you started investing in smart home technology? If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a smart home is a place equipped with various devices for automating tasks and allowing remote access via apps, voice commands and other methods.
There are lots of advantages to embracing it, from controlling your home more easily to saving money, helping the environment and improving security. Just under half of UK households are expected to use smart home technology in 2022 – and that figure could rise to almost 85% by 2026.
Saving energy and lowering bills will be a key concern for many homeowners right now, given the recent price cap increase. Options like new boilers and solar panels might necessitate a reassessment of your finances, but there are other ways to cut costs. Read how smart home technology can help below.
Controlling your heating
Smart thermostats are nifty devices that allow you to turn your heating on or off from an app. This way you can avoid heating an empty home when you’re out and about, then warm things up before you return.
Thermostatic radiator valves take things a step further by allowing you to control the exact temperature in separate rooms. No more freezing in your home office or melting during home workouts − just tap an app and adjust the temperature effortlessly.
Adjusting your lighting
Traditional light bulbs only convert around 5% of their electricity to visible light according to British Gas, but modern LED bulbs use significantly less energy and last longer too.
Choosing smart LED lights can help you save even more by tapping lights on and off from your phone, wherever you are. You can even set schedules and control the colour and brightness remotely too, saving the hassle of getting up off the sofa!
Monitoring your energy usage
While you’ll have a rough idea of your monthly energy bill, do you know exactly what you use each day, hour, or minute? Smart meters display all this data in real time, which can help you spot opportunities to cut back and save.
You might notice that someone in your household is taking excessively long showers, for example. Some meters allow you to set daily budgets too, so you can check that your usage is moving in the right direction. Sometimes, it’s the outdated parts of an appliance that’s sucking your pockets dry. If you want you can get the parts from retailers like Bravo Electro and change them yourself. Though, it’s not recommended if you don’t know your way around it.
Turning off plugs
Are you in the habit of turning plugs off when you’re not using them? It’s a worthwhile one to adopt – the Energy Saving Trust reports that you can save around £55 a year by avoiding standby mode.
Smart plugs can make the switch that bit easier, especially if you have to reach into awkward spaces otherwise. Like many of the options we’ve described above, just tap an app instead!
How Smart Home Technology Can Cut Your Energy BillsSmart home technology is fast becoming the norm. With the cost of living rapidly increasing, now’s the time to get on board if you aren’t already.
