Turning off the lights when you’re not in the room, unplugging devices on standby and running appliances at off-peak power times – we’ve heard all these tips for lowering your power bill before. And thanks to all the power saving products now on the market, there are so many more options for making your home energy smart.
Smart home products marry two of the most talked about trends in the tech world right now: the Internet of Things (IoT) and green technology. These products can make a difference not only on your carbon footprint, but on your bank account. This is particularly important with the rapidly rising cost of housing essentials like energy in Australia right now.
In fact, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the amount spent on power and energy has jumped 26% since 2009-10. This has increased the need to track down energy-guzzling devices in the home so you can reduce your power bill. Read on to find out how smart home products are more energy efficient and can help save you money in the long run.
Make the Brighter Choice with MyLights
There’s no doubt about it: LED lighting is the way of the future. Not only do they last an incredibly long time, they use a fraction of the energy of their incandescent counterparts. Generally, LEDs (at 100% brightness) are much more efficient and are up to 80% cheaper to run than incandescent bulbs. On top of that, a 60 watt-equivalent LED bulb provides a whopping 25,000 hours of life whereas an incandescent lasts a measly 1000 hours in comparison.
It’s also worth noting that an LED bulb runs cooler than a standard bulb where the energy mostly comes out as heat, not light in the latter. Therefore a house full of standard bulbs will start to affect the ambient temperature of the house, which could mean paying more to cool your home.
So yes, LEDs do cost more than standard bulbs, but think of it this way: You’re spending way more on electricity to power the incandescent bulb than you spent on the bulb itself. And while the upfront costs of LEDs can put a larger strain on your wallet to begin with, you’ll find yourself saving tons in the long run.
MyLights Smart LED Lighting System
The ability to have your lights turn on and off automatically, dim, work on a schedule and be controlled from a smartphone app has obvious energy savings. A smart lighting system like MyLights by Advantage Air can do all this and more.
Not only does MyLights cost substantially less than other systems, its energy efficient to guarantee you those extra savings. With the ability to adjust every MyLights LED in your home without getting up, have a look at the table below to see just how much you can save using the dimming function (based on a house with 60 lights running for 1.5 hours per day):
Then, why not add MyEco to see even more smart energy savings? With the MyEco button, all Mylights LEDs automatically dim, so you’ll barely notice the difference in the room lighting, but you will see a big drop in your power bill.
Always Keep your Cool with MyAir
Energy prices have shot up 80-90% in the last decade, with heating and cooling responsible for 40% of household energy use according to the Australian Government’s YourHome Guide. Even more worrying, a recent Finder survey found that approximately one quarter of Australian households will waste an average of 4.1 hours in energy per day this summer on cooling an empty home – that’s $578 each and is a massive $1.3 billion national mistake.
Not only is this extremely wasteful, it’s completely avoidable with a smart air conditioning system. A smart system can be programmed to your schedule so that it delivers the best temperature for your home habits at the lowest possible cost. That means you won’t have to give up your air con during these hot summer months and can cut down on your usage to save on your energy bill.
MyAir Smart Air Conditioning System
With about half of our energy use going towards keeping our homes at the right temperature, having more precise temperature control over certain rooms in your home will see smart savings. In fact, programmable air conditioners can help you see up to 25% off your heating and cooling bill.
So why not install a MyAir Smart Air Conditioning System by Advantage Air? With MyAir, you have the option to add motion sensors that detect when a room has been empty for 10 minutes, and automatically adjusts the target temperature by 1 degree. Then, if the room is still empty after 20 minutes, the temperature is adjusted by 2 degrees. This small adjustment can reduce the room’s energy use by 20%.
MyAir also uses clever zoning to help you see further savings. The average home has 10 rooms and the standard air conditioning system has only 4 or 5 zones. This means if all your bedrooms are in one zone, all rooms must be air conditioned, even when some are not in use, which wastes energy. Unlike a standard system, MyAir divides your home in up to 10 zones – one for every room – which allows you to heat or cool only the room you’re using.
A Firmer Grip on your Energy Use
It’s truly incredible to see what smart technology has done for our homes. From backyards to bedrooms, Australian households are beginning to revitalise their homes with smart technology to go green and save money. In fact, research from the Telsyte Australian IoT @ Home Market Study 2016, found that Aussies believe connecting their devices to the Internet will save money and take better care of the environment.
And what better way to control this energy use than with a centrally mounted hub that allows you to connect all the smart products in your home to the one convenient place? The MyPlace home hub allows you to control both MyLights and MyAir by displaying all the essentials. It shows you whether the system is on or off, sets the temperature and fan speed, and adjusts the lighting levels for ultimate control and savings.
For even more savings, picture this: You have left home and suddenly remember that you forgot to turn off your lights or air con before you left. Can you imagine the money it would cost you to keep them running for no reason? Now thanks to MyPlace by Advantage Air, you don’t have to. MyLights and MyAir both come with a smartphone app that turns most smartphones or tablets into wireless remote controls, allowing you to control the system even when you’re away from the home.
Are you ready to join the smart home revolution and start saving money on your energy bill? Have a chat to Advantage Air today to see how our MyLights and MyAir smart systems can cut costs.