Tips From The Top

In the long days of summer, it may seem that your home is using less energy than in winter. But with increased sunlight and temperatures come increased cooling costs. The average American home uses about 867 kilowatt hours per month of energy, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

In a recent Wired article “How to Make Your home More Energy-Efficient and Smart,” writer Adrienne So recommends some key steps for using smart home tech to reduce your home’s energy use and improve your home’s energy efficiency – saving you money and improving your home’s environmental footprint.

The first action is to find out exactly how your home consumes energy. Your utility companies can provide data, but for more specific information, you can employ home energy monitoring devices to track your home’s energy consumption in real time.

At Jackson Hole A/V, we help our clients monitor their home’s energy use and make modifications and adjustments within the home automation platforms we install.

The next step is to address your heating and cooling needs, since heating and cooling are the biggest energy users in American homes, according to the article. Insulating the roof, caulking the windows, and checking ductwork for leaks are important actions to take in any home. After that, a smart thermostat can take things to the next level of energy efficiency.

Smart thermostats can alter your home’s temperature at various times of the day, according to your family’s needs. Some can also use data like local weather reports, and learn your family’s schedule and preferences, to make adjustments automatically. And you can use your app to control your smart thermostat from anywhere.

Make sure your lighting is as energy efficient as it could be. Energy-efficient LED bulbs are key, and an integrated, automated lighting system could help you manage your home’s lighting needs by scheduling lights to come off or on as needed.

Smart plugs can reduce your home’s “phantom load” – the energy consumed by devices when they’re not in use. So’s article suggests grouping devices together onto a single power strip, then using smart plugs to turn off the energy to those devices when they’re not being used. Larger devices like washers and dryers can also be used more efficiently. Heating the water is your washing machine’s greatest use of energy, so washing in cold could cut costs. Clean the dryer’s lint screen and dryer duct

To learn more about how you can make your home more energy efficient, call us at Jackson Hole AV. We’d love to discuss the possibilities.