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Saving energy year-round with smart home solutions


iDevices News, Saving energy year-round with smart home solutions
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Each April, Earth Day provides an important reminder to be more cognizant of our daily habits and how they impact the planet. Often overlooked is how much energy we use — and waste — in our homes with inefficient lighting, HVAC systems and appliances.

By utilizing iDevices smart home solutions, there are several simple, yet effective ways to reduce energy consumption throughout your home and improve efficiency.


Energy Monitoring

Products like the iDevices Switch, Outdoor Switch and Wall Outlet allow you to view real-time energy usage for any electronic device or appliance you plug into them. By installing these products throughout your living space, you can accurately monitor household energy usage via the iDevices Connected app, giving you the ability to make informed decisions and save energy. These innovate products also negate the “phantom energy” drain of anything plugged into them.


Efficient Heating & Cooling

The iDevices Thermostat provides an efficient method to heat and cool any living space. With the ability to control and schedule your heat or air conditioning from anywhere via your smart phone, you can ensure you’re not being wasteful. Another benefit: if you have a vacation home, you can monitor the heat and air conditioning remotely all year, saving energy and money.


Smart Lighting 

While the ability to dim lighting is often seen as a feature that strictly improves ambiance and atmosphere, there are energy savings to be found. For example, halogen bulbs use about 20% less energy when dimmed. While LEDs are already efficient, investing in a dimmer can maximize energy savings. With the iDevices Dimmer Switch, you can dim lights from anywhere, or set schedules and triggers to automate and customize your home’s lighting for optimal efficiency.

The iDevices Wall Switch is another lighting solution that can help save energy inside and outside of your home. You can schedule and control outdoor lighting, such as security or flood lights, with your smart phone. We’re all guilty of leaving lights on in our house from time to time. If that light is connected to the iDevices Wall Switch or Dimmer Switch, for example, you can easily turn it off from your smart phone from anywhere.


The Cost of Wasted Energy

Leaving a kitchen light on while you’re at work might not seem like a big deal, but over time small inefficiencies can have a major impact on your household energy consumption and electric bill. With over 117 million households in the United States, according to census data, the amount of energy wasted just in the residential sector can quickly add up across the country. In 2012, the year in which the most recent U.S. Department of Energy data is available, the average American spent $3,052 in energy costs. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that in 2016, per capita energy consumption in the U.S. was 301 million BTU (British Thermal Units), compared to 74 million BTU worldwide.

Extreme weather conditions across the country have also come into play. Due to cold temperatures last winter, the country’s power grid started to show signs of fatigue. In New England, for example, power plants that burn oil began to run low on fuel.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced in April that spending on electricity is expected to jump over the summer, “a result of forecast higher retail electricity prices and slightly higher projected electricity use to meet increased cooling demand.” The average U.S. household will spend $426 for electricity between June and August, an increase of about 3% compared to summer 2017. All the more reason to invest in energy saving smart home solutions!