Smart homes.
In today's rapidly advancing world, technology continues to redefine our daily lives, and our homes are no exception. The invention of smart devices has brought about a revolution in the way we interact with our living spaces. These innovative gadgets offer not only convenience and comfort but also significant potential for energy savings.
In celebration of Smart Home Day, we've put together a quick guide to some of the smart home devices that could help you save energy, reduce your carbon footprint, and make your life more convenient. From smart thermostats to intelligent shower heads, learn how to bring your home into the future and take charge of your energy usage.
1. Smart thermostats, heating that adapts to your routine.
Smart thermostats have become a popular choice for households who have irregular schedules, to help optimise their heating and reduce energy use. They could save up to £50 a year on energy bills1. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that their ability to save money largely depends on your heating habits and daily schedule.
Smart thermostats are most effective if your daily routine involves frequent changes in when you are at home, as this means a traditional thermostat timer could be wasting energy heating an empty house. Using smart features, such as remote controls via apps and geo-fencing to tell when you have left home, smart thermostats can help you avoid unnecessary energy consumption. Learn more about smart thermostats.
If you don’t fancy the extra features of a smart thermostat, the learning to set a timer on your boiler is a step in the right direction to prevent heat wastage and ensure you return to a cosy home.
2. Build smarter energy habits with a smart meter.
Smart meters help households to gain a better understanding of their energy consumption and make informed decisions to reduce it. The In Home Display (IHD) provides real-time data on your energy consumption, helping you understand your usage in pounds and pence.
While they don't directly save money, they empower households to develop more energy-efficient habits by showing you the impact of your energy saving actions. It is estimated that if everyone in the UK switched to a smart meter the CO2 savings would be equivalent to planting around 70 million trees2.
As an E.ON Next customer you can book your free installation online and join the 5 million households3 currently benefiting from one of our smart meters.
Smart meter customers have their say.
See what our smart meter customers say about their experience with smart meters. Meet Elizabeth & David who call their smart meter a 'brain in a box' and they use it to better monitor how much they spend on their energy.
3. Smart blinds for cosy winters and cool summers.
Windows are key areas where heat can be gained or lost in a home. During the winter, heat can escape through windows, leading to increased energy usage. In the summer, excessive sunlight can cause overheating, increasing energy use from air conditioning and fans.
Smart blinds offer an intelligent solution for managing natural light and temperature in your home - creating a more comfortable living environment while reducing energy consumption. They can be controlled remotely via apps, set on an automatic schedule, or even include light and temperature sensors to react in real time. By adapting to let in the midday sun over winter and block it out in the summer, they can help reduce your energy use on heating and cooling at home4. Plus, you can enjoy the convenience of automatic day/night schedules that help to trap in heat for cosier nights.
4. Say goodbye to standby with smart plugs.
Your appliances and devices still use electricity when they are in standby mode - which is why you may hear them called vampire devices. Simply by turning appliances off at the socket when not in use, you could save up to £50 a year5.
Smart plugs are an effective way to help you combat this silent energy drain. These handy plugs use WiFi to allow you to remotely turn off or schedule various electronics and appliances, ensuring they aren’t draining your energy. All you need to do to set up is plug them into your plug socket, and then plug your device directly into the smart plug. Learn more about vampire devices.
5. Smart lighting controls in the palm of your hand.
Smart lighting controls put the power to manage your home's lighting at your fingertips. Whether it's adjusting the brightness, switching the lights off, or setting a lighting schedule whilst you’re on holiday - you can control it all remotely through an app on your smartphone.
Installing smart lights not only makes managing your home more convenient, but they can help you save energy. Turning off lights when not in use could save you up to £25 a year on your electricity bill6. Use the app to tailor your lighting to match your needs, minimising the use of artificial light during the day and ensuring lights are off when not required.
6. Monitor your water use with a Smart shower head.
Did you know, your showers use energy as well as water? Around 17% of an average household's energy bills are spent heating water7. Smart shower heads are designed to help you monitor and manage your water usage while maintaining a pleasant shower experience.
These devices provide real-time information about water consumption, allowing you to make conscious decisions to reduce water waste. They are basically a smart meter for your shower. And just like a smart meter they can be used to build better habits that could help you save on both your energy bills and your water bill.
Many smart shower heads also allow you to set automatic timers to limit the length of showers - particularly useful if you have any bathroom hoggers in the house who enjoy half hour showers. Even reducing your shower time by just 1 minute could save £35 a year in a four person household8.
Plus, you can often manage the water temperature and water flow separately to find the optimum balance between saving water and energy, without sacrificing a comfortable shower experience.
As technology continues to evolve, smart devices are becoming increasingly convenient options for encouraging energy-efficiency at home. By investing in these technologies, you can not only enjoy the convenience of a connected home but also reap the benefits of using less energy - for your wallet and the planet.
Energy efficiency advice for your home.
Ready to get energy smart? This video is full of useful tips for more efficient energy use in your home.
From smart meters to draft excluders, there are plenty of simple measures we can take to make the most of our home energy.