Aside from calling in your trusted local professional licensed electrician to maintain and check your electrical system for energy-guzzling components, you can do other things to help cut your monthly energy consumption.
For one, you can start modifying your behavior regarding electricity such as avoiding frequent use of the microwave oven, iron, and other high-energy use appliances. You can also turn off all unused electrical items or regularly hold your version of Earth Hour to save electricity. There are a lot of possible actions you can do to bring down your monthly electrical consumption, many of which require you to do simple behavioral changes.
Meanwhile, you can also turn to technology to help you enjoy low monthly power bills. These tech tools are widely available and cost just a few hundred dollars (or even cheaper), so they are pretty much accessible.
Here are five tech products that you should invest in soon to significantly slash your energy consumption:
Motion detectors.
Not all of the lights in your home need to stay on throughout the day. Some of them, such as the ones in your garage and supplies room, should only be lit when the place is occupied. The same is true with your air conditioning system — you don’t need your A/C units running round the clock, but only when you’re actually inside your home.
You should invest in motion detectors that can be connected with your lights and air conditioning system to activate them when someone is occupying the area. Some products do have such a feature built into them, so you can just invest in them instead of the typical items to help lower your energy use.
Smart thermostats.
Not all thermostats are created the same. Some, such as smart thermostats, have advanced features that can help a homeowner enjoy significantly lower monthly power bills.
The best kinds of smart thermostats can ‘learn’ a homeowner’s preferred temperature settings and automatically adjust themselves to suit those preferences. Some have a feature called geofencing, which activates the thermostat to a pre-set temperature once the owner is within range. Some, on the other hand, have wi-fi capability that allows users to remotely manipulate the device using a paired smartphone or tablet.
Smart outlets/power strips.
A lot of homeowners are not aware of the phenomenon called a phantom load, which happens when products that run on electricity plugged into outlets actually consume power even while they’re turned off. While the power that these loads consume is significantly lower than electrical items that are in use, it nonetheless contributes to a home’s monthly power consumption.
You can easily combat this wasteful occurrence by using a smart outlet or power strip. These devices do not let plugged electrical items consume electricity when turned off, but only when they’re actually in use. Additionally, smart outlets and power strips can be remotely operated to make life convenient for homeowners. While they may cost higher than traditional thermostats, the savings they can give to any homeowner makes such a price difference practically negligible.
Solar power system/battery pack.
If you’re looking towards the future where eco-friendly homes become the norm and not the exception, then you should gradually invest in a solar power system. There are now competitively-priced DIY kits that you can install and operate with basic tools. You can also tap a professional installer who can calculate the right setup based on your average monthly electrical consumption.
Meanwhile, you should try a solar-powered battery pack if you only need to save money on your regular device charging needs. There are many high-quality and affordable battery packs that will let you power up your electronic gadgets using just the sun’s energy. Your wallet and the environment will surely thank you for such an investment.
Solar-powered generator.
If you want a more versatile and portable alternative to a fixed solar power setup, then a solar-powered generator is the perfect tech tool to buy. This device can be juiced up through a conventional power outlet or a high-capacity solar panel. It can power a laptop, smartphones, tablets, and even a television, provided that you chose the top-of-the-line model.
Another thing that makes this tool tick is its extreme portability: you can load it up into your vehicle and take it wherever you please so you can power your travel gadgets even without an electrical outlet in sight.
Technology is truly the gift that never fails on giving. With these five tech tools, you can enjoy great savings on your monthly power consumption while living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
