Smart Home Devices That Can Help You Save Money | APHW Skip to main content

Save money at home with modern tech

America's Preferred Home Warranty, Smart Home Devices

Smart devices can add convenience to every room in your home. But will bringing them into your household blow your budget, or help you stick to it? Read on to find out! Note: For many devices, making them “smart” involves a WiFi connection and/or pairing it with an app on your smartphone. 

Smart bulbs: The bright way to better savings

Many homeowners are familiar with changing to LED bulbs to cut down on energy costs. Let’s explore the benefits of making the switch. 

How do smart bulbs work?

Smart bulbs can give you total control over your home’s lighting and access to the options below.

  • Turning lights on and off
  • Setting mood lighting for a cozier atmosphere
  • Programming your lights to run on a schedule 

Whether LED strip, classic, or candelabra, smart bulbs come in a range of shapes, colors, and styles that start as low as $5. In a nook or throughout your whole house, you can mix and match with bulbs that are as attractive as they are functional. 

Pro Tip: Changing all your home’s lighting at once can be too much of an adjustment for your eyes (softer lighting) and your wallet. Begin by updating lighting in the rooms that drive up electricity costs the most.

Stay charged with smart plugs & smart power strips

Even when they’re not in use, many of today’s electronics continue to suck power in standby mode, making them some of the worst “energy vampires” in your home. Smart plugs and smart power strips help you skip the frequent unplugging, trimming costs while making sure your TV or printer is always ready to go. 

Smart plugs and how you can pair them 

Smart plugs are known for helping prevent vampire draw, the consumption of excess electricity by appliances that are not in use. As long as they are connected to WiFi and/or paired with a designated app, they can also be controlled through a voice-controlled digital assistant. 

Here’s the skinny on smart power strips

Smart power strips functions similarly to smart plugs, but they can also detect usage once the amount of electricity being used exceeds beyond a set minimum. 

We put our power strips to work all year long – especially during the holidays. With options like timers and sensors, you can prevent power outages and the chance of blowing a fuse while hosting (and keep your circuit breaker intact, too). 

With your TV, laptop, or gaming system plugged into one of these smart devices, it won’t draw power unless you tell it to, which can save you around 20 percent in energy, according to a report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Pro Tip: Take your savings one step further with an easy self-audit of energy use in your home. 

Smart thermostats help you beat the heat – and ice out the cold

The US Energy Department estimates that 48%of your utility costs go toward heating and cooling your home every year. With a smart thermostat, however, you can lower your energy bill by as much as 25%! 

Instead of running down in a blanket to adjust the thermostat when it’s cold, stay cozy with a smart thermostat you can adjust from your bed. Smart thermostats offer the following features to automatically adjust, helping ensure you’ll never sweat or freeze. 

  • Geolocation 
  • In-home sensors
  • Access to your local weather forecast

This not only ensures your home is always comfy, but it can also help you reduce energy expenses while you’re away. Using a smart thermostat is a small step for the environment, and a giant leap for your wallet.

Stay safe smart with a home security system

According to the FBI, there were 1.4 million burglaries in the United States in 2017, and over 67 percent of these burglaries happened at somebody’s home. This is a scary number for homeowners, but it’s also scary that most of these crimes went unsolved due to lack of a witness or physical evidence.

If you’re looking for an affordable way to keep your family safe, a smart home security system may be the answer. One of these systems could help you avoid the $2,416 taken on average during these home burglaries. Moreover, it could help you save up to 20 percent on your homeowner’s insurance, which is more than enough reason to get one installed at your home.

Smart home security systems usually combine multiple security products, such as automated video cameras, locks, doors, lighting systems, and alarms and detectors, to keep your home safe. In the event of a break-in, you’ll have footage to help you and the authorities crack the case. 

Use a smart sprinkler system to turn the water off before bed 

Have you ever forgotten to turn off your sprinkler system during a rainstorm or before going to bed? It’s a pretty common problem for homeowners, but it can lead to a big expense when the water bill rolls in.

Smart sprinklers can help you prevent these eye-popping moments. A smart sprinkler system learns about your yard and local weather so it only waters when it’s needed, helping you conserve water and money. Plus, most systems will alert you if a leakage is detected, saving you even more in the long run.

Bonus: Tech gadgets that make life easier and less expensive 

Every now and then, we find something that makes a world of difference in our daily lives. Balance your checkbook while checking things off your to-do list with these shortcuts for modern living.

  • Cut down on noise and power use with an agile, quiet robot vacuum
  • Avoid burning a batch of your favorite soup with an automatic pot stirrer 
  • Recreate the spa experience at home with a smart oil diffuser and a deep tissue massager 

Though some items may be used more often than others, calculating the savings and peace they’ll bring you can help you determine the best additions for your household. 

As a homeowner, protecting your tech means protecting your budget. While at work or at play, keeping your modern tech in working order with the right electronic coverage can help keep things humming for years to come. 

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