If you have an interest in home automation, chances are you’re most concerned with all the ways smart homes can make your life more comfortable, relaxing and safe. However, you may not have realized all the ways automation can also save you money by lowering your energy usage.

Even better, many of the simplest ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency are things you would want to do anyway to get the most from your smart home setup. Let’s examine three smart home automation systems that are easy use and will cut the energy costs in your Hartford, CT home.

SEE ALSO: Smart security and more automation solutions from Safe Home Security

MOTORIZED SHADES

Keeping your home properly insulated is one of the best ways to keep your energy costs low, and motorized shades help you do that in multiple ways.

First, the shades themselves are made from energy reflecting materials to minimize how much heat is absorbed from sunlight. Less heat coming in means your house stays cooler and your air conditioning bills drop.

Second, motorized shades can be programmed to adjust themselves throughout the day to ensure the optimal temperature and light level in your home. The shades raise or lower at different times of the day, and the angle of the slats can be adjusted as well. Set the schedule once and watch your shades take care of themselves as your energy costs diminish.

LIGHTING CONTROL

Automated lighting controls systems are another excellent method to make your home more efficient.

Lighting control gives you a greater ability to monitor and manage the lights in your home. You can set up schedules for different lights to come on in different rooms at different times, and the ability to turn all your lights off with one button press makes it less likely that you’ll waste energy by leaving a stray light on somewhere.

The bigger benefit of lighting control, though, is how it helps you get the most from the light that’s already coming into your home. Lighting control systems replace your standard on/off switches with an array of dimmers, meaning you have a lot more flexibility with how you can use your lights.

According to industry research, every percentage point reduction in light level through use of a dimmer results in a corresponding decrease in energy usage. You can use automated schedules and presets to take advantage of sunlight during the day, which will also lead to increased energy savings.

SMART THERMOSTATS

Another major factor in your energy costs is your heating and air conditioning system. Smart thermostats offer a way to lower your costs in this area.

Like motorized shades and lighting control, smart thermostats allow you to take advantage of preset schedules to make sure you aren’t wasting energy heating your home when nobody is around. The ability to manage your smart thermostats remotely from an app lets you make adjustments for unexpected circumstances, and higher-end models can even learn from your patterns and adjust themselves due to factors like humidity.

These are just a few ways that smart home automation can make your Hartford, CT a home more efficient and a more pleasant place to be. To learn more about these home automation services, contact Safe Home Security at 800-833-3211 or visit us online, and read our blog to discover the benefits of other smart technologies.

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