These are the devices to get if you're ready to cut down your monthly bills.
Did you know that smart home devices can save you money? Despite the upfront costs of raising your home’s IQ, many of the best smart home devices can actually help you cut down your utilities bills. Some can even help reduce damage in case of floods or other unexpected disasters, saving you even more.
You can save thousands with a DIY smart home, and the savings won’t stop after setting up your space. Many smart home devices have energy consumption and monitoring features, and don’t suck up unnecessary power when they’re not in use. Smart plugs, smart lights and smart thermostats can be particularly energy efficient. Either way you should see your smart home devices to save you money, as long as you know which devices to get. We’ve detailed the top categories of smart home devices that could bring cash back to your wallet:
Smart plugs
Smart plugs are among the most affordable and user-friendly smart home devices, but the best smart plugs and best outdoor smart plugs are more clever than they look. When you leave lamps or decorative lights (ie. Christmas lights) on when no one is home, you’re wasting energy. You can check the status of your smart plug on your smartphone wherever you might be, even if you’re home and simply too lazy to get up. A smart plug can be even scheduled to turn on and off at specific times.
Smart lights
The best smart lights are another affordable and effective way to save money. Depending on what kind of bulbs currently illuminate your home, smart light bulbs can decrease your monthly energy bills since they use LED technology rather than incandescent and halogen light bulbs. LED bulbs also last much longer than other types of bulbs, meaning they hardly need to be replaced.
The most popular smart lights are perhaps Philips Hue lights, which come in a wide range of bulb shapes and even smart light strips and permanent smart light fixtures. Philips Hue lights aren’t the most affordable, but the collection of features and compatibility with other smart home devices is hard to beat.
Smart light switches
If you live in a larger home, installing smart switches instead of smart light bulbs might be a better option for saving money. Smart light switches aren’t as easy to install and require knowing about neutral wires, but could save money if you have a lot of light sockets. Most smart switches cost somewhere between $40 to $60 depending on the brand and features, and can be used with several basic LED bulbs.
Looking for more ways to cut down on spending? Stay tuned for updates.
