It might sound like something out of a science fiction flick, but new products can turn your old place into an energy saving smart home. A familiar friend helps energy expert Charlie Warner engage with energy in a whole new way.
Smart Home
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It might sound like something out of a science fiction flick, but new products can turn your old place into an energy saving smart home. A familiar friend helps energy expert Charlie Warner engage with energy in a whole new way.
Those smart outlets seem great. And the auto-dimmer/intensifier function would be pretty cool to try out. Really all of it seems great, but starting with something small like the outlet plug would be right for our budget.
Any one offer a seminar on these devices? I’m just getting used to a smart phone so think I need help beyond an instruction manual.
I love learning about all these new ways to save energy each month.
thanks so much. and with these, it’s easy to add as the budget permits.
We just installed a Honeywell smart thermostat and I really like it. I think it has saved us money already. But i didn’t know about light bulbs or wall plugs that could be programmed or controlled by a smart phone. That’s something I need to look into. We’re still using those clunky dial switches for turning lights on and off while we’re on vacation. I hate setting those! Thanks for the tip!
Very interesting. Good information. NO information about the cost or the payback period for the different devices. While payback is difficult to compute without specific knowledge, the relative decline in costs may be predicted.
Do all the devices work for both Apple and MS Dos products?
I’d like to try a smart thermostat, but we have boiler/radiator heat, so I’m not certain that would be compatible. The smart outlets and bulbs are cool in that you can start small and expand readily. Thanks for the tips!
Looking forward to new ‘smart’ thermostat that will go with our new furnace/heat pump/air conditioner this summer.
My lighting could be “smarter”, but my next eco-savvy investment will be an energy – efficient refrigerator.
I guess I need a smart phone.
I hadn’t heard of light bulbs that could be programmed-that’s pretty cool. I do wonder about security with all that being controlled remotely. Is there any information on how the data is stored and if it’s segregated from other data you may have on your phone?
What I’d REALLY like to see come on the market is a smart APARTMENT. People on the lower floors pay less for cooling in summer, more for heating in winter. I don’t have to turn my heat up at ALL in the winter; my downstairs neighbors thermostat setting is MINE whether I like it or not! And in spring and fall, as my elderly downstairs neighbor keeps the heat on for about a month more than I would, I have to open my windows to let the heat drain out, or I’ll roast.
Of course, it’d be better if my landlord would insulate, but “heat rises” applies no matter how well-insulated your apartment is.
Fascinating! I’m intrigued by the smart thermostat and smart lights.
Great video! Very informative. I am really interested in the Smart Thermostat. For years now, I do turn down the home thermostat when we leave for work. But when we get home, the house is always pretty chill. And sometimes it seems to take a while for the heat to return to a comfortable level. So yes, the Smart Thermostat seems like the perfect fix! Thanks!
I had recently heard about the NEST and was pleased to hear more a out it and other similar products. I always love knowing about more ways to save energy, thanks for your informative videos.
Mr. Warner is a great host of these videos! I wish we could afford to change our entire house over – at one time – to modern Wi-Fi and controlled lighting, but we will have to do this one fixture/device at a time. We are currently switching CFL bulbs over to LEDs, and or high-efficiency set-back thermostat Will eventually be switched out to a Smart phone/app controlled model. Ah, progress?????
It sounds like the first step is to get a smart phone! Charlie Warner is a great host for these videos, professional, yet warm. I need to work on lighting and appliances as budget permits.
I would have liked some price estimates for context. Without an idea of how much these thermostats, plugs, etc. cost, its hard for the consumer to know where to prioritize.
This seems like great technologies but how secure is it from someone hacking in and messing with your devises?
I like the idea of remote control of heating , cooling , and lighting but not sure I’d want Internet connected devices just yet.
But otherwise they appear to have great features. Reports on energy usage would be teriffic.
I always enjoy seeing all the new technology out there that can help make your life easier and possible save money. Very interesting!
It’s so exciting to see all the new technology available to make homes more energy efficient. It will be interesting to see what else will become available in this realm. I would like to see more of these technologies implemented in commercial settings as well since many of those buildings are some of the biggest energy wasters.
If only smart devices had better standards; I’m afraid to jump into that pool thanks to the large amounts of competing and incompatible standards. 🙁
I like being informed about the availability of new and better ways of controlling our energy usage. I’ve see the thermostats for sale but I haven’t seen the outlets or light bulbs. Where might those be found?
Thanks for the information.
Loved the little ‘star wars’ droid. Really kept my interest on the presentation and flowed nicely with the technical gadgets for energy
conservation. Keep up the great job!
I am going to be smart by replacing light bulbs with LED. I am told they truly have a 25 year life expectancy and they light output is wonderful. Helps with the dark corners.
Great to start at the low end of the budget with the wall switches. Would like more information on boiler/radiant heat energy saving options. Set back on these furnaces take FOREVER to regain temperature during the coldest days of the year. Seems like the rules may be slightly different and worth learning about.
Adding more electronic gadgets to a home should also include research indicating whether there are actual reductions in energy use to offset the increase in complexity and vulnerability to downed Internet access.
I live in an apartment. The smart bulbs and plug-in devices would work well for me.
LED bulbs throughout our house have really brought down our electric bill. I think a smarter thermostat with the ability to connect to our phones will be our next purchase.
Are these items that can be hacked into? It seems that they could be.
What are the costs and paybacks for these devices? In our small house, every light is CFL or LED, so not sure how much more we could gain.
Nice job, Charlie! Very cute story.
Sonjia
Just remember these don’t have security so are very easy to hack. Not necessarily a deal breaker but something to remember.
I love the idea of these devices but how much energy do you need to be using today to make the savings cost-effective? From my investigations, it doesn’t make sense in our household because we are already low consumers of electricity and replacing our existing programmable thermostat would not be cost-effective. I hope that they do inspire others.
We could use some of the smart lights in our apt. I did not even know such products existed, though it does not surprise me with the level of technology currently being produced.
Putting more LED lamps and bulbs in our home.
Already maxed out at our business.
The new lamp would look in our home office.
Thanks Greenview,
Marv
This is GREAT info!!! I look forward to being able to update my condo with this technology!! Thank you!!!