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the Lenovo Wi-Fi Smart Plug is also an affordable little gadget that tells you how much energy things are consuming. Your utility provider can also help. Several of them have applications, such as DTE Insight, which help detect and monitor home energy consumption.
Step 2: Work on your air conditioning and heating
Space heating is the second biggest consumer of energy in American homes, just after cooling. You may not be able to persuade yourself to turn down the heat while you take your morning shower, but a smart thermostat like the Ecobee can help you make less painful adjustments. Google is everywhere Nest Thermostat is a solid option, just like the cheapest Nest Thermostat E.
“Smart thermostats use sensors to know when you’re away, can know your daily schedule and temperature preferences, and even use local weather data to automatically make energy saving adjustments,” says Katie Wallace, door -speaking of the Energy Trust of Oregon. a non-profit organization dedicated to helping residential and commercial customers use less energy. “Plus, you can control your smart thermostat from anywhere using a tablet or smartphone.” Equipping your smart thermostat with sensors in different rooms can also help you save energy. The sensors allow the thermostat to automatically adapt to different conditions. For example, he could take advantage of passive solar heating in rooms with open windows facing south.
Insulation patches will also help you lower your bill. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already insulated your roof, caulked your baseboards and windows, and checked your ducts for leaks. But if that doesn’t exceed your budget, small upgrades like insulating window film or laying a carpet over uninsulated flooring can also make a significant difference in the amount of energy needed to heat a room.
Whether an electric fan reduces your electric bill compared to an air conditioner depends on many variables, such as housing size, layout, and construction, but air conditioners are energy hogs and there is more to it. consider your electric bill. Air conditioners are also a major source of the heat island effect, where cities get significantly warmer than the surrounding environment. Heat cannot be destroyed, only moved elsewhere, so the heat your air conditioner removes from your home is pumped outside. For environmental reasons, there is a strong case for reducing your dependence on air conditioning. Reversing your ceiling fans in the winter helps blow warm air, which collects near the ceiling, into the rest of the room.
Step 3: Close your business, the smart way
Have you changed your light bulbs to Energy efficient LEDs? If not, why not? You could get smart Philips Hue LED bulbs that you can dim or turn off, even when you’re not at home. These are our favorite smart bulbs.
If you have trouble remembering to turn off your bedside lamp or living room lights while stepping out the door in the morning, a smart plug like this from Belkin energy saving switch is a simple and affordable solution.
Smart plugs are also one of the easiest ways to reduce phantom load, which is the energy consumed by devices that you are not using. Try to bundle devices that you rarely use, such as video game consoles or stereo systems, on a single power strip. Then plug them into a Amazon smart plug, TP-Link Kasa, or another of best smart plugs, to deactivate them when you are not using them.
Programs like Energy Star have ensured that larger appliances, like dishwashers and microwaves, are much more energy efficient today than they were 10 years ago. But even if you don’t plan on replacing your ten year old TV (if you do, we have some TV suggestions), there are ways to make your old devices more efficient.
Step 4: Washing, drying and water tips
Most of the energy used in washing clothes comes from heating the water, so washing in cold water can make a big difference; there are detergents specially formulated for cold water. If your water heater and washing machine are older models, it may also be worth investing in a smart leak detector to save money from wasted water and to keep it from trickling all over the basement.
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