How Adopting the Smart Home Revolution Can Save You Time and Money

How Adopting the Smart Home Revolution Can Save You Time and Money

The word revolution means different things to different people and depending on your personal perspective it may be good or bad – that’s just human nature. Even a revolution in technology that’s meant to make our lives easier can be a scary prospect for some. That’s definitely true when it comes to the rise of the smart home and everything that comes with it. It’s our position that the increased use of smart home technology should be embraced with open arms as there really is nothing to fear and a lot to be gained. Smart home technology can save you both time and money as long as it’s set up properly and being used to its full potential. Below you’ll find the reasons we’re convinced the smart home is good for families at all stages of the life cycle.

Why a Smart Thermostat Will Reduce Your Heating Bill

Until recently the idea of a thermostat that could actually help the home owner save money would have seemed like a myth right up there with the Unicorn. Sure they kept your home warm, but it was never an even heat on all levels and it wasn’t unusual for one level to be uncomfortably warm while temperatures were downright frigid on another. Enter the smart thermostat from companies such as Nest. This ingenious little device can sense your presence and turn up the heat accordingly – when no one’s home it can automatically turn itself down to minimal levels. This type of self-adjusting thermostat can potentially save you between 10 and 12% per year. For the average family that’s typically somewhere between $150 and $300 in your pocket. You can also use an app to access the Nest thermostat remotely to make manual adjustments if you know you’ll be arriving home soon.

Shedding Some Light on Your Electricity Bills

It isn’t just a smart thermostat that can save you considerable amounts of money off your energy bills each month. There are all kinds of smart technologies that have the potential to save you a lot of money in the long run – a great example is the Philips Hue smart light bulb. These bulbs can actually learn your behaviour over time. They are connected to your home Wi-Fi network and they can be controlled through it. Eventually the system learns when you typically go to bed and it will turn off lights automatically behind you. These smart light bulbs can also sense when you enter a room unexpectedly and raise the lights accordingly. It’s estimated that the average household spends as much as 12% of their electricity bill on lighting and this type of system can easily cut that bill in half. That may only be between $50 and $100 per year, but in today’s challenging economy every penny counts.

Remoted Doorbell Convenience

If you’ve ever had the displeasure to miss the delivery person when they show up with a package you’ve been waiting on for weeks you share my pain. A few years ago I was waiting on a new laptop to arrive and while I had a general idea when it was going to show up I didn’t know the exact day for sure. Not surprisingly it showed up while I was away one day. I ended up having to drive to the delivery company’s central depot a few miles away to pick up my package. This cost me a lot of time that could have been better spent on other things. There might not have been an easy answer to my problem then, but there certainly is now. With a video doorbell you can see who’s at the door and interact with them using its built-in camera and microphone from anywhere in the world.

A Lock that Saves Time

When you combine one of the video doorbells we just mentioned with a smart lock system you can easily make sure that package gets into your home safely and securely. A smart door lock such as the Schlage Connect can be used to control and allow access to your home remotely using an app. This can be used to let that delivery person in to drop your package off so you don’t have to pick it up, to

let the grandkids in the house so you don’t have to rush home, or just to check if you remembered to lock the door. All of these scenarios would have cost you precious time in the past, but with this new door lock technology those problems are a thing of the past.

Worth the Upgrades

The products we’ve talked about above can save you both time and money as part of your smart home. With these smart devices there may be a bit of cost upfront, but the overall savings are considerable. If you haven’t already started building your smart home you should get stared today.

Note: This is a guest post by Joseph Mack from smarthomeSAGE, a blog that analyzes the impact that smart home technology has on home life.

54 thoughts on “How Adopting the Smart Home Revolution Can Save You Time and Money

  1. Definitely worth considering especially as the price comes down. I’d have some security concerns about the locks and thermostat from hackers though. A video surveillance system seems like a good idea these days.

  2. The concept of Home Automation is a revolution in the truest of sense. From various viewpoints – security, comfort, convenience, etc. You have thermostats that sense your needs and automatically set the temperature that you’re most comfortable with! You have doorbells that let you interact with your visitors when you’re thousands of miles away from your home! Simply amazing!

  3. Definitely life-saving hacks that you pointed out right here. I haven’t even thought that some technologies could make my life easier. Anyways, thanks for sharing us this wonderful and informative article! Keep up the great work.

  4. Thanks admin for your post.A smart home defines a high-security zone.A home security installations need to require some serious brainstorming to determine the best outcome. You don’t have to invest in a multi-million dollar surveillance system to keep an eye on your property and possessions.You just install modern locking systems which you can access from wherever you are and check everything is as it should be. This way you don’t need to ask neighbors to keep popping around to keep an eye on things unless there is a specific problem that arises.I found your article more interesting and useful as a tool which could help me explore my home security planning ideas in this sector.

  5. “Shedding Some Light on Your Electricity Bills”

    I definitely think this is a big advantage, and personally would want a system for this reason.

    I can’t stand having to guess why a bill is so high, or now knowing my energy consumption until I suddenly get a huge bill!

  6. The lock features a complete keyless design which is the heart of any smart lock. Since the smart lock is to be installed on the interior side of the door, it is safe from being exposed to intruders and is likely not to be tampered with in your absence.

  7. Hey Mate,

    The idea of smart lights was quiet interesting, it definitely is worth a try. I will let you know about experience soon 🙂

  8. Thanks for a very enlightening article. Yes smart homes are a fact and are increasingly becoming affordable and available to the average home owner.

  9. Informative article post sharing. All information is really valuable and helpful. Lots of essential information sharing this article post. Keep going.

  10. Thank You for sharing your ideas to save time and money. We all know that science is inventing day by day new devices to save our time and money and technology provides us with the new features to do the same task.

    I am pleased to say that- Z-Wave technology gives us more advantage to make our life easier and smarter with comfort. Home automation system through Z-Wave technology is the best and provides us with more opportunity to save money and time and to ensure our security and to enhance the level of home security.

  11. Personally, I’m hijacking machine revolts. Where better to take a chainsaw and build a house of trees. Glory to the woodcutters!
    The main thing to choose a good chainsaw 🙂

    1. Thanks for the comment Richard. Yes, good Tools make the difference. Tech isn’t everything and even I refuse a lot of it from entering my life. Good luck with your revolt.
      Tommy

  12. Hi, thank You for sharing your ideas to save time and money. I haven’t even thought that some technologies could make my life easier. All information is really valuable and helpful. Keep up with good work.

  13. The smart thermostat is one of the greatest purchases I did recently. It helps me to reduce my bill up to 40%. Awesome thing!

  14. Hi Tommy,

    Thanks for the great advice. I am another that worries about security and hacking these days. I guess you just have to be aware of what is available, and how the bad guys work there way into secure systems. Just have to keep on top of things all the time.

    Nice tips.

    Cheers Nathan…

  15. With home automation, homeowners can cut energy and heating costs, and control lighting level even optimizes energy consuming appliances and devices. It makes the home more convenient, safer and energy efficient.

    Home automation will make your home “smart.” by allowing what used to be “dumb” devices like a lamp to perform actions based on conditions you set for them intelligently. If you want a light to turn on only when people are in the room, then that’s a simple example of what home automation does. Its Energy saving and money saving idea.

  16. Thanks for having Joseph as the guest blog. I hear you about using technology to make your home secure, but with big data comes with big responsibility. Which company can one buy all these gadgets from knowing their data won’t be sold off? It will be safe and secure.

    1. Thanks for the comment and a great question Silz. That is the big uncertainty with tech and data today. What they collect and store beyond their purpose and what might happen to it. Examples of that have already been brought to light. We have to take that into consideration whenever we bring any AI/Smart Tech into our home and make appropriate decisions that are not solely relying on trusting the company won’t sell or use private data for something we are unaware or would not want to be part of. If we don’t want anyone to know then don’t use that type of smart tech.
      Tommy

  17. It was amazing to read about the new smart locks that can be available for your home. My wife and I just moved into a new place. We’d love to find a reputable locksmith to come out and install new smart locks in our home.

    1. Thanks for the comment Sam. Using a reputable locksmith is a good idea for jobs you can’t handle yourself. Just make sure to check online reviews or have good referral from someone you trust. Not all locksmiths are the same as some overcharge or are less skilled.
      Tommy

  18. It’s interesting to see you mention coupling wireless cameras with smart door locks. I do think this is the future as you rightly point out it’s safe, sercure and ensure peace of mind.

  19. it was really good info u shared. Especially Shedding Some Light on Your Electricity Bills.
    As for us in Mumbai it has become a challenge to keep a track of bill progress with all the complication of calculation methods they ( electricity board )adhere to

  20. The best part about smart home technology is that you don’t have to make a huge up-front investment to get it going — you can incorporate the various components a little at a time. But don’t be surprised if you get hooked. After all, with each addition, you’ll be making an investment in safety, security, energy efficiency, and awesomeness.

  21. Thanks for pointing out that I need to make sure that I invest in smart locks and the right doors for the security of my home. I hope I can find security smart lock doors so that the doors would have two layers of protection. After all smart lock is secure than traditional lock.

  22. There are countless benefits to home automation technology, not the least of which is convenience. But beyond that, smart home technology offers peace of mind for the user.
    Some of the benefits of home automation include:
    1. The ability to turn off forgotten appliances from anywhere;
    2. Increased security through remote door locks and access codes;
    3. Lowered energy bills via smart thermostats and temperature control;
    4. Saving electricity by turning lights on and off remotely;
    5. Ensuring your children arrived home safely from school;
    6. Checking on your home while you’re away at work or on vacation.

  23. I was searching some suggestions to make a smart home but I haven’t any previous experience. That’s why I was confused which things I should consider to make smart home. In your article, you share some items by using these items I could easily make my home a smart home. Thanks for sharing your article.

  24. For the last few months, I was suffering from high electricity consumption. After reading your article, I install thermostat. Now I can control AC with remote. And also, successful to reduce my electricity consumption. Thanks for sharing this article.

  25. Much appreciated administrator for your post.I discovered your article really fascinating and valuable as a device which could assist me with investigating my home security arranging thoughts in this area.

    A debt of gratitude is in order for the remarks above by Roger- (A brilliant home characterizes a high-security zone.A home security establishments need to require some genuine conceptualizing to decide the best result…) There is a great deal of fundamental arranging to improve any new home tech being added. Happy you discovered the article fascinating.

  26. Thanks for pointing out that I need to make sure that I invest in smart locks and the right doors for the security of my home. Much obliged Heather for your significant info.Your sharing is just outstanding.Your tips are truly useful to comprehend the significance of savvy home. Shrewd home establishments need to require some genuine conceptualizing to decide the best result. discovered your article seriously intriguing and valuable as an apparatus which could assist me with investigating my brilliant home arranging thoughts in this area.

    Incredible post! It is by all accounts a typical subject that introducing shrewd home items is a lot of more terrible than it really is. Indeed, a great many people say it’s a breeze. Have you had any issues so far with anything you have introduced?

  27. Advanced Technologies definitely our lives better and secure. In this Article I have cleared my confusions about pros and cons of advanced home technology.

  28. Thank you very much! I use a smart thermostat and noticed a huge difference in utility bills – it has greatly decreased.
    By the way, do you have any thoughts on how to reduce energy consumption by maintaining the pool?
    It would be helpful and relevant because the warm seasons are coming soon.

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