7 Exceptional Smart Home Devices that Are Great for the Planet

Are you trying to make your home eco-friendlier? One poll found that 84% of homeowners want to live more sustainably. However, most don’t do enough. This is partly because they don’t know what measures they can take and often mistakenly think certain eco-friendly practices are actually bad for the planet. One example is the number of people shunning smart technology when it can actually lower their carbon footprint.

There are a number of important steps that you can take. One of the best things that you can do is invest in smart home systems that reduce energy use, lower water waste and minimize the unnecessary consumption of natural resources.

Smart Home Devices Can Go a Long Way Towards Making Your Home More Environmentally Friendly

Whether this is a good or a bad thing, people have become very dependent on technology. For example, can you even imagine spending a day without a phone? No matter what challenges you are facing, taking advantage of a number of cutting-edge devices can significantly improve our quality of life.

Technology doesn’t just make our own lives better. It also helps lower our carbon footprint and leads to other changes to help the planet.

High-tech appliances can now be found in any home and eco-friendly homeowners are investing in them more than ever. There used to be a misconception that technology was bad for the planet, because it uses energy. However, used properly, technology can improve energy efficiency and lower your carbon footprint.

However, installing them can be a bit tricky. Some processes are not as straightforward as performing water softener plumbing or changing shingles.

In this article, we will review 7 must-have devices for a smart home.

1. Water monitor to reduce water waste

The EPA reports that US citizens waste 10,000 gallons of water every year. Not only does the waste affect your budget, but it also causes a negative environmental impact.

In fact, one of the priorities of smart homes is to be more energy-efficient, thus saving money and the planet. A water monitor can be a great addition for eco-friendly homeowners. It will both reduce energy usage and water waste.

You can install a water monitor by hooking it up to the pipes. The system relies on ultrasonic sensors to find leaks. This particular device is not that hard to install; the whole process only takes several minutes. You can get the analysis through the phone app, receiving alerts whenever something’s wrong.

2. Smart thermostat to lower energy use

Having a smart thermostat can significantly reduce utility expenses. Similar to water monitors, they rely on sophisticated sensory to detect any form of activity within the household. In other words, the system will heat certain areas according to the presence of humans. So, you will no longer have to waste money heating empty rooms. This will in turn lower your carbon footprint as well.

Among others, the homeowners can set up the maximum temperature according to their liking. The system can be managed either from a phone app or the device itself.

3. Advanced doorbells to create an eco-friendly home security plan

We previously talked about the benefits of having an eco-friendly security system. Smart doorbells are a great add-on. They are energy efficient and great at bolstering security at the same time!

In the last few years, package stealing has become a major problem in the US. Even if we disregard this social issue, you always want to know if there’s someone in front of your doors. With smart doorbells, you can do just that.

These devices have a microphone and camera and will send a real-time video to your phone app. Even if you’re not close to your home, you will still receive the feed. Some of the advanced versions can even record a picture whenever someone rings the bell. That way, you will always know if one of the neighbors came by.

One of the reasons smart doorbells with digital surveillance is better for the environment is that they don’t rely on analog cameras. Digital cameras are much better for the planet, because they use less energy than their analog counterparts.

Lastly, smart doorbells have facial recognition technology allowing the app to memorize homeowners and everyone else who regularly visits the house.

4. Smart speakers to minimize energy waste from traditional speakers

There are so many different ways you can utilize smart speakers. In fact, they are one of the first smart home devices on the market. The introduction of Alexa in 2014 completely changed how we perceive these devices.

Not only can you use smart speakers for listening to audiobooks and your favorite music, but you can also connect them to other pieces of equipment. For example, they can be utilized as your digital diary and planner. Of course, a lot of people use them to quickly find answers to certain questions without having to google stuff.

Again, these speakers are better for the environment, because they rely on digital, rather than analog technology.

5. Sophisticated lighting to reduce energy waste further

Smart lighting is another way to save money and preserve the environment. With just one click of a button, you can control this feature from anywhere in your home. Alternatively, if you have the right equipment, you can even adjust the settings with your voice.

Whenever you go outside, the lights will shut down automatically. This is a neat feature, which is particularly great for people who regularly forget to turn their lights off. Alternatively, you can purposely turn them on while on vacation to prevent potential burglaries.

6. Smart control plugs

This is a similar device to our previous entry. Whenever you exit the home, smart control plugs will turn off any appliance that is still running. So, if you forget to turn off the stove, you don’t have to worry about fire accidents. You can also set timers to save energy and lower your carbon footprint.

The homeowner can also turn off the lights from a distance. Those who have a lot of appliances can buy a power strip as a method of saving money. Among others, this device can monitor energy consumption per outlet.

7. Air conditioning unit

Smart air conditioning units work similarly to smart thermostats. Although very new to the market, the homeowners have quickly embraced them.

Like most of these devices, you can control the unit from a phone app. Advanced products can be combined with other smart systems, and you can also manage air conditioning in different rooms.

Why are smart air conditioners better for the planet? Since you can cool down the rooms you are using, you will use less energy than if you were trying to cool the entire home.