With energy and utility costs hitting the roof, it has become a mandate for many homeowners to find out ways to reduce energy usage in their homes. If you are on the lookout for ways to save energy in your home, here are some energy conscious gadgets that can be of help in the matter.
Device Charging Stations
Devices tend to suck vampire energy even after attaining full charge. Plugging each device into a separate socket can also suck up loads of energy. A device charging station allows you to consolidate all these devices by allowing them to be plugged into a single charging station. With the capability to handle multiple devices, the charging station can reduce the total amount of energy consumed by your household considerably.
Electricity Usage Monitors
It is imperative to know exactly how much of energy your household is using on a regular basis. An electricity usage monitor will help you calculate this. After plugging the monitor into the wall, you will need to enter the energy price (per kilowatt hour) for your area. Follow this by plugging any device into the monitor and using it normally for a few days. After a few days, the monitor will let you know how much energy the device is consuming per month as well as how much energy it is wasting. This helps you target your energy savings better.
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats help optimize the home temperature to your personal needs without wasting too much energy in the process. Learning from your behavior, these smart thermostats can help you save anywhere between 12 and 15 percent in heating and cooling costs. Plus they are available in various models, offering sleek options of energy saving at home.
Motion Sensor Power Strips
Is your household wasting a lot of energy owing to the devices you forget to switch off after usage? Motion sensor power strips can help you curb this energy wastage. These power strips come with motion sensors that can detect movement in the room they are placed in. With the capability to handle multiple devices at once, the power strips will automatically switch off peripheral devices if no motion is detected in the room for more than 30 minutes.
LED Motion Sensor Lights
Normal incandescent light bulbs tend to waste a lot of energy in addition to emitting heat. Replace these lights with CFLs. Choose LEDs for night lights as well. When plugged into a socket, the LED light can be left on at all times. It automatically switches off upon detecting sunlight or even another nearby light sources. Better yet, it uses just 10% of the energy an incandescent light bulb will use in addition to giving you a usage lifetime of at least 10 years.
Outdoor Solar Lights
Using a bright light for the outdoor porch throughout the night can run you up by at least a couple of dollars in energy usage every month. Switch to outdoor solar lights which absorb light by the day and use the same to provide light to the front porch at night. Some solar lights also come with sensors that detect motion and increase the light output accordingly while reducing it otherwise.
Fireplace Draft Stoppers
The cool air blowing in from the fireplace can reduce the efficiency of the heating system in your home. Use a fireplace draft stopper to reduce this inbound draft. The tear resistant, airtight and durable inflatable bag can be placed inside the chimney after the fire has been put out to keep the room warm for longer intervals. It can be deflated, folded up and stored away when not in use as well.
A lot of households tend to waste plenty of energy without actually knowing about it. These energy conscious gadgets will do a great job in reducing this energy wastage in the house, thus reducing energy costs in the process.
