These Home Upgrades Will Save You Money

With the constant evolution of modern technology, looking for new ways to upgrade your home can be daunting. From “how long do solar panels last?” to “how far can an electric car drive?” There are a lot of questions to ask. Smart housing upgrades have become very popular, but how do you tell what’s flashy and what’s going to help you in the long run? Sure, fancy gizmos and gadgets are fun at first, but what happens when they lose their appeal? Here are three improvements that will save you money—always in style!

Adding Smart Lighting

Did you know the lighting in your home can increase or decrease the overall value? It’s one of the easiest and least expensive upgrades you can make. You may be wondering “how does adding new lighting save me more money?” Most lighting inside homes comes from incandescent light bulbs, which are filled with mercury and argon. These are very toxic chemicals to humans and can cause serious health problems if they shatter.

To prevent this from happening, consider switching to CFL or LED because not only is it safer, it’s going to save you a lot of money. In addition, if you have a bad habit of leaving the light on while you’re gone, you can turn off the light with your phone.

Install Remote Outlets

While on the subject of remote control, your lights aren’t the only thing that can be controlled from afar. You can install a wifi enabled socket that allows you to switch off your electrical appliances when you are out. Some people scratch their heads and wonder how this is significant. However, have you ever had that feeling as you’re out shopping and you start wondering if the coffee pot was left on? The fear that soon overtakes you probably forces you to drive back home, only to find that you did indeed turn the coffee pot off.

With a smart outlet, you’ll be able to shut off the power in a mere instant. Not only will you end up saving money, but you'll also alleviate a lot of unnecessary stress. You’ll be able to enjoy your time outside without having to worry about leaving the oven on!

Beat the Cold with Smart Heating

Smart thermostats are a smart move. They maximize your saving by reducing the need to run your HVAC system, while still prioritizing your comfort. Maybe you won't even notice.

By closely integrating with your smartphone and other sensors, these smart thermostats will monitor humidity, temperature, weather conditions and forecast, occupancy, location, and even habits. Why run your AC while you aren't home? When your phone recognizes you are returning home from a day of work, it'll prep the house just in time so everything is perfect when you arrive.

Making note of these variables over time, you'll likely never have to touch the thermostat again because it will know what you want and when you want it even before you reach for the thermostat. All while saving you money. Now that's smart.

Most units will even give you a history of usage to help you identify habits that could be improved for reduced energy consumption.

With these tips in mind, you’re ready to start getting more bang for your buck with these upgrades!