Everyone wants to save energy. Whether you want to do this for the environment or just to save on your electric bill, the starting point is the same. Now, the big question that many give up on answering is: “Where to start?”
Unfortunately, a professional home audit can end up costing a lot of money. Not to mention that you may wait for several weeks for the experts to even show up.
If you want to take feasible steps to slash your energy bill and save some money doing so, you’re in the right place! We’ve made a guide to energy-efficient gadgets that can lower your electricity bill and reduce your energy consumption. Curious to find out more? Let’s get started!
What is Smart Technology?
Before making a list of some of the best energy-efficient gadgets, it’s important to have a better understanding of smart technology. Needless to say, energy savings have always been a hot topic.
Technology is constantly evolving, so we no longer have to purchase unattainable, expensive appliances. Nowadays, saving energy is fast and easy, as it only takes several hours of your time to see your electricity bill drop by a total of 30–50%.
The best thing you can do to save energy is to cut costs at the source—your house’s energy usage. With smart technology, it’s now easy to automate your energy-saving habits and see and better understand how much energy you use. So it’s safe to say that modern technology has a big say in how we can do this.
The word “smart” from “smart technology” doesn’t just mean “clever,” “intelligent,” or “superior.” In fact, it stands for “Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology”. It’s a type of technology that can follow several predetermined factors and make some decisions on its own.
From monitoring movement and turning on the lights in your house to measuring the temperature and turning on the heating at a certain hour, this technology can help cut your energy use.
Some of the best examples of smart technology that doesn’t cost a fortune are energy-efficient gadgets. You can find these devices in most tech stores, and most of them are affordable with a payoff time that is usually shorter than three years.
Without further ado, here are some of the best energy-efficient gadgets for your house!
1. Programmable Thermostats
Programmable thermostats are some of the most energy-efficient gadgets available on the market. They are excellent money-savers that work just as well as any standard thermostat, yet something distinguishes them from the latter: they can change the temperature setting without any kind of human intervention.
So, based on what your energy needs are at a particular moment, your programmable thermostat can change the temperature on its own. Saving you money on both cooling and heating bills, these smart energy-efficient gadgets are incredible; some of them can even learn on their own and save money for you automatically.
Awesome, isn’t it?
Do you have a programmable thermostat? Let us know in the comments section!
2. Solar Panels
By far one of the priciest energy-saving gadgets on the market, solar panels can help offset as much as 100% of your electricity bills. This smart technology converts energy from the sun into power, providing free electricity to replace the expensive one you pay to your utility company. Solar panels are scalable and versatile, so there are several options for different types of houses.
You can purchase as many modules as you need or want. These energy-efficient gadgets are also suited to every surface, and there are even some that you can install on your RV rooftop.
The good news is that solar panels are now becoming progressively cheaper, with about an 80% reduction in price over the past decade. Moreover, they can also generate Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs), which you can sell on an SREC market.
You can combine these energy-efficient gadgets with a solar battery to live truly off-grid. They can also be connected to the grid, which functions as if it were your battery.
3. Energy Monitors
The next energy-efficient gadgets on this list are energy monitors. Also known as energy usage monitors, they help you save even more energy by allowing you to know exactly where the energy goes and which of your appliances are the biggest electricity hogs in your house.
Unlike programmable thermostats, which are fixed, these gadgets can be plugged into any wall outlet. Once you do this, you just have to plug the device you want to monitor into the energy monitor itself.
When the appliance or device is on, the monitor measures energy usage. Basically, this lets you see where the energy is going, which can help you save more of it and lower your electricity bills.
A great way you can slash your utility bills using an energy monitor is by swapping an old appliance that consumes more energy for a newer one. Another option would be to change the time when you use that appliance so that it only uses power during off-peak hours.
4. LED Bulbs
While LED bulbs aren’t exactly gadgets, they can help you save energy just like the best energy-efficient gadgets do. Since an incandescent light bulb consumes up to 120 Watts of power, the total share of the utility bills that you pay for lights alone can be huge—as much as 30%. So, if you want to avoid these unreasonable costs, consider installing LED light bulbs in your house. You can get them here.
Similar to energy-efficient gadgets, LED bulbs are a great innovation that helps you cut your electricity bills. This type of bulb consumes up to 90% less energy than old, classic lightbulbs. Switching to this technology is very effective when it comes to saving money.
Another two benefits you’ll enjoy if you decide to get smart light bulbs for your house are that you can change the quantity of light as well as the hue of the light—all by using your smartphone or even automatically.
If you want to step up your game and save even more energy, combine LED bulbs with smart light switches. These energy-efficient gadgets feature a motion detector and can turn lights on whenever someone enters the room. When nobody is in the room, the lights automatically turn off, so you’ll never have to ask yourself the same question: ” Wait, did I turn off the light?”
5. Smart Windows
Smart windows may not be as affordable as some other energy-efficient gadgets on this list, but they are still an excellent way to cut your energy use. There are several types of windows that can be deemed smart.
While some can produce electricity as they feature integrated solar cells, others have special films and smart devices that can make them more translucent or opaque—depending on your needs and the time of day.
Smart windows can, for instance, help keep your house cool in the summer or warm it in the winter. By letting in more light during winter days, these windows help your home heat up in a passive way. On the other hand, by blocking light during summer days, they help keep your house cool.
6. Smart Power Strips
The next energy-efficient gadgets on this list are smart power strips. They monitor energy use and shut off devices and appliances in your house.
Whenever the energy use drops, it indicates that the appliance is in standby mode. Thankfully, now there’s a method to automatically turn off this vampire consumption that drains your wallet. You can save both energy and money by connecting as many devices to the smart power strip as you want.
These energy-efficient gadgets are perfect for entertainment centers and home offices.
7. Tankless Water Heater
A water heater that features a tank will somehow dissipate some of the heat stored in the water. However, there’s a way to ingeniously counteract this energy loss: having a tankless water heater. This smart device can help you save both energy and money by only heating water when you need it. In other words, this will prevent you from spending more money than you really have to.
8. Eco Chargers
The last energy-efficient gadgets on this list are eco charges. You see, classic chargers use electricity whenever they’re plugged in. To significantly cut this vampire consumption, some companies have created eco chargers.
These special chargers help you save energy because they reduce the amount of electricity they use when not in use. Some models can even shut off their energy use completely, but they can be a bit more expensive.
You may also want to read These Cool Tech Gifts for Grandparents Cost Less Than $100.
