Smart home tech was once a thing of the future and something that was mostly only interesting to the tech nerds. Fast forward to the present day, and it makes so much more sense for the average homeowner looking to make life just a little easier, a little safer, and maybe a little more cost effective, while reducing their electric bills.
Things like lights that come on when you walk into a room, thermostats that can sense your daily routine, and security cameras you can check with your phone while at work. It is no longer just a neat piece of tech, but an actual improvement for your home, that’s the ability to potentially add value and to give costs back to you in utility savings.
If you are contemplating an upgrade and are searching for the best electrician in Loveland CO to help, here is what is actually worth your money.
Smart Lighting Systems for Ambiance & Savings
Smart lighting systems are likely the easiest installation you can perform, and once you get used to them, standard switch and dimmer controls feel very archaic. Quality dimmable LED lights that you can schedule based on your everyday routine, and when paired with a voice assistant, you can control the whole house using just your voice or just your phone.
Real energy savings are possible, too. Smart LED light bulbs use significantly less power as they have fewer watts than incandescent bulbs and could last more than a decade (15-20 years in some cases). The voice assistant integration is also pretty awesome – once you can just say “turn off all the lights” when you climb into bed, you’ll probably never want to walk through the house flipping off switches again. Get a pro to make sure smart switches are installed right.
Smart Thermostats: Comfort That Pays Back
This is likely going to be the fastest upgrade that pays for itself. Smart thermostats learn your habits and adjust the temperature automatically, meaning you are no longer heating or cooling an empty house for hours and days. In my house within a week my thermostat had learned my schedule, now I rarely think about it.
The remote control part is huge too. You forgot to turn down the heat before leaving for the weekend? No problem, just reach for your phone and adjust from anywhere. The savings potential is real; most people see 10-15% decreases in their heating and cooling costs which can translate to hundreds of dollars per year.
Whole-Home Surge Protection
This isn’t sexy, but it is probably the most important upgrade on this list. Imagine how many expensive electronics you have plugged in right now; TVs, computers, appliances, smart home devices. Those appliances can add up to thousands of dollars in equipment that can be fried by a single power surge.
The little power strips you can buy in the Store? Better than nothing, but not going to protect your whole home. A whole-home surge protector is installed at your main electrical panel; this protects everything in your house. You definitely want to leave this to a licensed electrician.
Intelligent Security Systems and Cameras
Security systems have come a long way since those old-fashioned alarm systems that would go off every time the cat went by. We’re now using cameras that distinguish between people, packages, and squirrels, in addition to systems that send alerts to your phone.
Integration possibilities are endless: your doorbell camera can trigger your porch lights, your door locks can engage automatically when you arm your system, and you can check in your house from anywhere in the world! This level of peace of mind is priceless when you’re at home or on vacation.
Home EV Charging Stations
If you don’t already have an electric car, you probably will within the next few years. It’s so much easier to have a Level 2 charger installed in your home than relying on public charging stations, and it’s much quicker than plugging into a standard outlet.
Smart chargers can connect with your home’s energy management system and charge your car when electricity rates are at their lowest. I should mention, this is not a DIY project. We’re talking about 240 volt wiring, and it can be dangerous when it’s not done professionally.
Smart Investments Now, Better Living Later
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: smart home upgrades are not just about having cool, premium stuff, but making your day-to-day life a little easier, safer, and more efficient. You have to think beyond the convenience factor. These smart technologies pay for themselves fairly quickly in terms of convenience and actual savings, from your lights adjusting to have some thermostat set up with either an actual savings behavior, or one that saves you potential energy costs.
There are tremendous security and protective benefits. Whole-home surge protection and smart security systems can reduce worry to a level that’s hard to put a dollar amount on. And now that electric vehicles are starting to become common, having an EV home charging station is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity.
The only factor that matters is having all these upgrades professionally installed by an experienced technician. Remember, smart home technology is only as good as the installation. It’s never a good idea to short-cut electrical work. They’re smart investments that will make your home much better to live in tomorrow!