Is your electric bill on a seemingly never-ending climb? It may be time to take action by turning your house into a money-saving home. By purchasing the latest home technology, you can potentially save money on your electric bill and help the environment by reducing your energy consumption.
While these purchases require a small initial investment, the money you’ll save over time could make up for the cost. Consider investing in these seven ingenious home gadgets.
A smart thermostat links to your desktop or mobile device, allowing you to control the temperature of your home even when you’re a thousand miles away. Depending on the season, either increasing or decreasing the temperature of your home by just a few degrees when no one is there can give you significant savings on your electric bill. Remember, you can also set it to cool off or heat up your house before you arrive home.
How many times have you come home after work only to find that someone left lights or the TV on all day? These little nuisances can add up when you get your electric bill. Invest in smart plugs to ensure these items get turned off when no one is using them. You can find plugs that will respond to voice commands or link with a smart home device.
Nothing beats the gentle breeze of a fan on a hot summer day, but sometimes your ceiling fans may not seem to cool down your space quite enough. Pump up the cooling quotient by purchasing a ceiling fan that offers more cooling power than a box fan. With a fan that produces a higher airflow, covering more cubic feet per minute, the air circulates faster and cools you off more quickly.
A high-powered fan could save you from having to turn on the air conditioning in humid weather, which reduces your energy consumption and lowers your electric bill.
Keeping the inside of your home cool means more than just turning on fans and air conditioning. It also means preventing sunlight from creeping in to warm things up. Smart blinds will adjust to cover your window when temperatures outside begin to climb and the sun rises higher in the sky. This will reduce the amount of electricity you need to cool off.
If you aren’t using LED light bulbs, it’s time to make the switch. LEDs produce less heat than other bulbs, consume less energy, can help lower your electricity bill, and allow you to go longer without changing a bulb.
If you want to change over to LEDs, start slowly by replacing your bulbs as they burn out. While they save you money in the long run, LEDs are more expensive up front, so spacing out your purchases will give you time to absorb that cost instead of changing out all your bulbs at once.
What’s using the most energy in your home? If you’ve ever pondered this question, then you should get a home energy monitoring system, which can help you determine what’s drawing the most power. You can then reduce that power usage or consider upgrading to energy-efficient options, giving you a specific place to target your efforts.
You can get solar roof panels installed right on top of your existing roof, making for a relatively hassle-free process. With little maintenance required, these durable panels should last for years. They connect to your utility grid and can help offset costs on your electric bill almost immediately. There can be a large upfront cost to installing solar panels, but they’re likely to save you even more in the long run.
As you depend on new gadgets to make your home smarter and more efficient, remember that you must learn how to secure any connected devices. Your Internet-connected devices — security cameras, smart locks, gaming consoles — can add a level of convenience to your life, but they could also make you more vulnerable to hackers.
By using these seven devices, you could save your family money on energy needs. Looking for more ways to save? Consider getting the Founder’s Card. You can earn cash rewards* on all purchases. Find more tips on saving money on our WalletWorks page.
*Some exclusions may apply. See the Visa® Founder's Card and Visa® Alumni Rewards Card Rewards Program Terms and Conditions for full details.