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The cost of energy is just getting more and more expensive every year. If you’ve been receiving some unexpectedly large utility bills lately, you don’t have to resign yourself to them being the new norm. Instead, you can take a proactive approach to bring those numbers down and take advantage of everything technology has to offer.
Several devices can help you save money on your electric bill. Many of these leverage smart functionality to accomplish this without you having to sacrifice comfort or convenience.
With the energy cost going up year after year, it makes sense to do whatever you can to cut power usage in your home. It’s even better if you can do this without having to sacrifice convenience or comfort. Don't miss our testing insights on the Echo 4th Gen smart device!
If you are going to be automating your home to save money, you need a central control method. That’s where smart home hubs come into the picture. They allow you to use both voice and internet connectivity to control and optimize the performance of your home’s connected devices and appliances from anywhere.
This multi-functional smart home hub gives you all the benefits of everyone’s favorite voice assistant combined with a display screen for tablet-like functionality. It’s one of the best and most intuitive ways to control every other smart device in your home for maximum convenience and money savings.
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If you want to save some cash and can make do without the display screen, the Echo 4th Gen offers all the same smart home functionality as the Show. Considering its small size, it boasts great sound and is ideal for placement in bedrooms and main living spaces alike. Our tester described the device as the perfect size, with good sound quality and a simple setup process.
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Light bulbs are a major source of electricity use in most homes. Simply switching to LEDs can offer major savings on your utility bills. However, if you want to take things a step further, then smart LED light bulbs are the way to go. They have more functionality and make it easier to take energy-saving steps.
Philips Hue White Ambiance A19 LED Smart Bulb
In addition to helping you save money on your energy bills, the low-wattage LED also lets you customize the hue to your preference to create the perfect ambiance. It is rated for 25,000 hours of lifetime hours and you can control it anywhere when connected to your smart home hub.
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This voice-controllable, dimmable LED light bulb only uses 8.8 watts of power but offers equivalent brightness to a 60-watt incandescent bulb. You can even use it without a smart home hub if you want by simply installing Kasa’s app on your smartphone.
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Air conditioner usage is one of the biggest contributors to high utility bills. It takes a lot of power to keep your home cool. You can mitigate this by using a smart thermostat to maximize air conditioner efficiency and strategic placement of portable fans.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen
The 3rd Gen Nest Learning is currently Google’s most advanced smart thermostat. It automatically learns your schedule and creates a customized home plan to avoid wasting money cooling an empty home. The sleek, modern unit looks great on the wall too and is available in several finishes.
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Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat
The Sensi Touch is estimated to save you more than 20% on HVAC energy usage. It does this by monitoring your air conditioner’s performance and providing detailed reports and maintenance reminders to ensure it operates at maximum efficiency. You can also lock the keypad so children or guests cannot alter your settings.
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Dyson Pure Cool Purifying Fan DP04
This stylish fan has several high-tech features, including sensing pollutants in real-time and increasing purification until air quality has improved. It is also smart home compatible and produces a strong airflow capable of cooling large rooms.
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Lasko Portable Electric 42 Oscillating Tower Fan
A budget-priced model that still produces strong airflow, the Lasko tower fan is a good choice for those on a budget. Though it isn’t a smart device, it does have a programmable timer and features a night mode that dims the display and slowly reduces its output to save on energy usage while you sleep.
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Not every device and appliance is available with smart functionality. Luckily, we don’t need them to be. Adding a few smart outlets to your home can turn regular old electronics into connected devices that allow for scheduling, remote operation and power usage monitoring.
The KP200 installs into your wall for a seamless look and lets you control two plugged-in devices from anywhere. You can also use the app to set schedules and combine several devices into one power group to turn them all on or off at the touch of a single button.
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The Aoycocr smart plugs come in up to four packages and don’t require any installation. Simply plug them into existing outlets, and you’ll get remote control and smart functionality of any device you connect to them.
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Brett Dvoretz writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
