Smart home devices make life more convenient and give you fewer things to worry about. Setting your smart bulbs on a timer, for example, means you no longer have to wonder whether the kids turned off the lights when leaving the room. And with a smart lock or smart door knob, getting locked out of the house becomes a non-issue.
Smart home devices and accessories can also keep more money in your pocketbook and save you loads of time. Setting up a smart vacuum to automatically clean floors and employing smart kitchen appliances cut down on your energy expenses and reduce the number of things you need to think about daily.
If you’re looking to save money and update your home, take a gander at these money-saving smart home devices and accessories.
Energy-monitoring smart plugs
Basic smart plugs do a lot to help you save on your energy bills by giving you a way to schedule when lights and appliances turn on and off. Energy-monitoring smart plugs take things a step further by also tracking your electric usage. If you’re worried about phantom energy drain, wonder how much electricity it really costs to run your smart TV or smart home hub, and want to see your energy usage in real-time, you need to upgrade your smart plugs.
These are the best energy-monitoring smart plugs
Outdoor solar security cameras
Whether you wire outdoor security cameras or use rechargeable batteries, you’re using electricity that can show up as a significant increase on your electric bill. Outdoor solar security cameras rely only on nature to recharge their internal batteries, doing away with surprise bills.
We recommend the Anker eufy S220 solar Solo Cam
Smart bulbs
Smart bulbs are one of the most cost-effective ways of getting started with building a smart home. They’re cheap to buy, easy to install, and work with your smartphone, tablet, and smart home hubs. By putting your lights on a schedule, you can make certain you’re not wasting electricity.
Best smart bulbs for Alexa or Apple
Smart thermostats
You’ll cut your energy bills in a hurry when you invest in a smart thermostat. Most smart thermostats work with heating and cooling systems, operate over Wi-Fi, and work with apps and smart home hubs. With a smart thermostat, you can set the temperature for day and night and then forget about it. Many of today’s best smart thermometers also monitor your usage throughout the day so that you can see firsthand what you’re using and make plans to conserve energy.
We recommend the Meross smart thermostat
Smart home hubs
Whether you’re into Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or Apple HomeKit, today’s smart home hubs have built-in features to help you control your smart home and see the current temperature and humidity levels. Knowing how warm or cold it is in certain rooms can help you put together a better insulation plan or tell you when it’s time to open a window instead of cranking the air conditioner.
Smart home hubs for Apple, Amazon, and Google
Other money-saving smart home devices we recommend
- A smart microwave that’s Energy Star-certified
- This smart dishwasher with leak protection
- The smart dryer that prevents overdrying and unneeded electrical usage
- A no-subscription video doorbell
