Smart Home Gadgets to Help Lower Your Utility Bills

by Bill and Aby Brooks, REALTORS® 05/24/2020

When it comes to conserving energy, homeowners wanting to go green often spare no expense. Here are a few ways to upgrade your home without lightening your wallet.

Smart Thermostat

A powerful method to control your power use while saving money on your air conditioning bills in the summer and heating bills each winter is by installing a smart thermostat. Utilizing a system that monitors the indoor and outdoor humidity and temperatures to adjust your system keeps your home on an even keel and your bills steady. Choose one with multiple sensors so that you don’t end up with hot spots or cold rooms around your home. You can adjust your thermostat manually, but the best way to make it smart is to connect it to a smartphone or voice-controlled device.

Motion Sensing Dimmers

You try your best, but there’s always one room where it seems the lights get left on more often than you’d like. The challenge is, it’s the same room that’s often empty most of the day, so no one even notices the lights burning. To combat this issue, replace the standard light switch with a sensing dimmer switch. That way, if someone’s in the room, the light turns on, but when there’s no one moving around, off it goes. And, when daylight comes in the windows, the sensor knows to keep the light off.

If you’re retrofitting an older home, replace pull-chain lights in basements and utility rooms with a motion-sensing light so that you never have to stumble around waving your arms in front of you trying to grab the string to the pull-chain.

Adjustable LEDs

On the subject of lights, Take it up (or down) a notch with a 3-way LED. The equivalent of a 60-watt bulb can adjust from soft, warm light to bright, daylight with built-in wireless technology at the sound of your voice when connected to your smartphone or smart home.

If you’re looking for ways to make your home appeal to a more energy-conscious set of buyers, try utilizing these inexpensive, smart home technologies.

Smart Home

Gadgets

Utility Bills

About the Author

Bill and Aby Brooks, REALTORS®

Aby’s understanding of excellent customer service stems from her extensive professional background. Prior to earning her real estate license in 2005, along with her college degree that focuses on business and engineering, Aby was the head of purchasing, inventory and quality assurance for an OEM medical and aerospace manufacturing company. Known by her clients and fellow realtors for her tenacity, honesty, integrity, and attention to detail, as a full-time realtor, she is also appreciated for her quick response to her client’s needs. Aby has been an avid horse rider and owner since the age of eight, with her husband Billas a local firefighter/EMT they are very active within the community. Bill served as a US Army Airborne Ranger in 75th Ranger Regiment, he is a combat-wounded veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart. Bill's background as facility Manager for an International metals company and as a firefighter/EMT gives him the experience, attention to detail and the desire to go above and beyond to serve his customers. The Brooks' serve on the board of a local non-profit (501c3) that gives back to the veterans, first responders and their families. The Brooks family resides on their small ranch in Manatee County. Aby& Bill excel in all types of real estate and their passion is helping people. “We genuinely like people, growing up in Sarasota and Manatee counties and now raising our own family here, it is an absolute pleasure to share our growing area with newcomers and reminisce with longtime residents. Our area has so much to offer and it is our business to help folks buy and sell their own piece of paradise.”