How to automate your home’s energy usage

Home automation is a fantastic way to save yourself time, while also reducing your energy bills and having a positive impact on the environment. So called smart homes are becoming increasingly popular for a number of reasons, including worldwide efforts to reduce carbon emissions and the realization that home automation can save you, and your family, a good deal of money. There are a few ways in which you can automate energy usage. You could use a series of sensors and isolated controls so you never even have to lift a finger, or make your home programmable so you can change the settings with just a tap. It all depends on what type of automation system you choose. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the cool things these systems can do to control your home’s energy usage, and the benefits that come with it.

Lights Off!

One of the main ways to automate your home is by controlling the lighting. Sophisticated motion sensors can turn lights off as soon as a room is vacated if needs be, so no unnecessary electricity is wasted. There are other ways to use this feature too. Perhaps you want to slowly raise the lights as the sun begins to set? Or maybe dim them as you settle down to watch a movie? With home automation, you can program changes in the light level so that they happen consistently every day, or you can take over manually if you fancy a change.

Finding the Perfect Temperature

Another benefit of automation is constant temperature control. This can be achieved in a number of ways, including turning the heating on/off, activating ceiling fans, and even closing your blinds for you! Some systems can even find a combination of settings which allow you to reach your required temperature while using as little energy as possible.

Preventing Energy Drain

You may not know this, but many of your home appliances will continue to use energy even when turned off. Whether it’s a television on standby or a plugged-in tumble dryer, this ‘energy drain’ (also known as vampire power) can have a serious effect on your household bills. By using a home automation system, you can identify and even disable certain appliances until you actually need to use them. There are also features which allow you to turn off everything in your house with a single tap. So, if you’ve left the house in a hurry and forgotten to turn the oven off, you can do it right from your phone.

Most systems will contain a built-in smart meter, so you can easily check your energy usage and adjust the settings. You can tell when the kids are leaving their lights on, or if someone’s spending too long in the shower! This also means you can calculate how much you’ll be paying per day, so you can have further control over your bills. There are plenty of automation systems to choose from, so be sure to do your own research and find one that’s right for you.