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Automate Your Energy Efficiency for Cost Savings
April 1, 2023
Energy efficiency is top of mind for many homeowners that assume paying utilities is just the cost of homeownership. Still, as energy costs rise and concerns about inflation are in the news cycle, those same homeowners wonder if there is a better way. Intelligent Living Solutions is to the rescue. Smart technology for your home and business allows you to automate energy efficiency to significantly save costs.
According to the US Department of Energy, your home’s heating, cooling, and water heating are some of the largest energy expenses in the house. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions says the average U.S. family can spend at least $2,000 a year on energy bills, which means reducing your home’s energy use is the single most effective way to save money. Today’s smart technology offerings related to automating your home’s energy usage can help homeowners save up to 20-30% on their energy bills.
Energy Efficiency on a schedule
At the most basic level, setting a schedule using a smart home programmable thermostat helps to manage temperature controls while you are away from home. Best practices are to turn down the thermostat at night and when you’re away from home. If you lower the temperature by 7°-10°F while you’re away at work (6-8 hours), the adjustment can save you about 10% on your heating and cooling bill annually. To keep up with seasonal needs, a good rule of thumb is to set the thermostat to 78°F in the summer and 68°F in the winter.
Plan for the unknown
More advanced than a programmable thermostat, door and window sensors can alert your home’s HVAC systems that a door or window is open, and therefore, temperatures should be adjusted accordingly. If you live in the Midwest, we often have very large temperature swings in a single day so opening the windows or sliding glass doors is common. There’s always the chance that children forget to close the door or window, too!
Step up to sensors
While it may seem like a no-brainer to program your thermostat for when you are home and away, adding presence sensors to rooms increases the savings even more. Basements, spare bedrooms, formal dining rooms, or other rarely used spaces don’t need to be heated or cooled in the same manner as other more frequented areas of the home. Presence sensors can not only initiate when someone is present and deactivate when not in use.
The ultimate in energy efficiency
Fully automating your home means that some of the most advanced smart home technologies can begin to predict patterns and sense when the space expects to be in use. Also, connecting to a smart home weather station will know the expected weather and adjust accordingly. This predictive technology begins to understand your movements and usage through a combination of your schedule, the weather predicted, room sensors, and behavior patterns. Predictive controls are the ultimate form of temperature control that will produce the best energy efficiency for cost savings on your energy bills.
Energy Efficiency with Smart Technology
From low-tech solutions like a programmable thermostat to high-tech predictive temperature controls, Intelligent Living Solutions can help you design a smart technology system that works best for you. Whether you are building a new home or upgrading your current home, contact us to find out how we can help you create an energy efficient solution that enables you to save money.
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