When it comes to saving energy, many people think investing in solar power or buying an electric car are the only options. But conserving doesn’t have to be so expensive. There are numerous ways you can adopt energy-saving technologies. Between smartphones and smart appliances, you can start saving dollars and energy all at the same time. Here are a few ways to do this:
Refrigerator
Today’s smart refrigerators are more than appliances that keep food fresh. They are also energy-efficient and come with computerized touch screens that help you keep track of what’s inside, what you need to replace or buy, and help you find recipes online. The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator is rated one of the best smart refrigerators on the market.
While they aren’t cheap, your savings in the long run come from not wasting as much food since keeping track of it all is that much simpler. You can pair some devices with the touch screen allowing you to make phone calls without even picking up your phone. Pair up your smartphone or tablet to access your refrigerator even when you aren’t home. How’s that for convenience?
Washer/Dryer
Smart washers and dryers allow you to connect to your appliances when you aren’t home. You can activate their options through an app on your smartphone or tablet, and track how much energy they are using. You can start a load of laundry when you are out and about, and you can sign up to receive notifications on its progress. These appliances also allow you to keep track of maintenance and repairs.
Range
Cut down on the amount of time you spend in the kitchen with a new smart range. Some of the newer models allow you to download an app to your smartphone or tablet and send recipes straight to the stove automatically setting the temperature and cooking time. You can also monitor a food’s cooking time and progress. This same app also lets users monitor their food’s cooking progress. Smart ranges cut back on cooking time by using infrared cooking. Perfect for the home cook who prepares several meals a day.
Nest Thermostat and Smoke Alarm
A Nest Learning Thermostat learns your heating and air preferences, allowing you to save the time of programming it yourself. This can also save you money over time. In addition, the company makes carbon monoxide alarms and smoke detectors that will alert you through your smartphone when the batteries are running low, as well as when there is a pending emergency.
Quick Charge Technology
You can change the way you charge your smartphone or tablet with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 Technology. Devices with Snapdragon mobile processors can receive the energy-efficient, “lightning-fast” charging. This technology decreases the amount of time you spend connected to a charging cable. Select devices equipped with this technology include LG G5, HTC 10 and Lenovo ZUK Z2 Pro, to name a few.
Power Adapter
Energy savings don’t always need to come by installing or doing something big. In fact, there are quite a few things you can do on a smaller scale. Charging and powering up your electronic devices can use a considerable amount of home energy.
However, companies such as Belkin offer solutions. Instead of continuously charging, these types of adapters can be set for 30 minutes, three hours or six hours. Once the time is up, they automatically shut off. This reduces standby power.
Saving energy doesn’t only mean installing solar panels on your roof or buying an electric car. There are many other ways people can go green. Whether you install a learning thermostat, invest in a smart appliance or find easy ways to save power with your everyday electronics, there are several energy-saving technologies that you should adopt.