Why Smart Lights Matter

By Blog SmartHome. August 14, 2015. For irisbylowes.com

What’s so great about smart lights?

Save Energy and Money

 

It’s easy to accidentally leave on lights in an empty room. But doing so can waste a ton of energy—and money. Now when you go to bed, you can switch them off with the touch of a finger. Or schedule your lights to turn on at a specific time in the morning to make waking up a bit easier. You can even control your lights remotely with a smartphone app.

Occupancy sensors—another wallet-friendly feature of home automation systems—can detect when someone leaves the room. When the room is empty, the lights go off. When someone enters the room, voilá: Lights on!

Did you know the human eye can’t tell the difference between 80 and 100 percent brightness? So there’s no reason to have your lights burning at 100 percent. Instead, use the dimmer feature to find the brightness setting you prefer. If you set all of your lights at 80 percent, you’ll cut 20 percent off your energy usage. Translation: major cost savings.

 

Set the Scene

 

Entertaining guests? Use your home automation system to preset the lighting and go into party mode with the touch of a button. It’s never been easier to create the perfect ambiance for your soiree.

Scene control can also ensure you feel safe and secure. Instead of coming home to a dark house, program your lights to “Arrive Mode” so that at the tap of a button, your walkway and entry are illuminated.

Worried you left a light on after leaving the house? All you need is a smartphone or tablet to switch it off, giving you peace of mind no matter where you are.

Going on a trip? Set your lighting to “Vacation Mode” and it will imitate your typical daily use. You might not be home, but nobody will know that.

You can also connect your smart lights to your home security system. If an intruder tries to break in, your indoor and outdoor lights will automatically turn on.

 

Smart Plugs

 

We’ve all left the house, only to wonder: Did I leave the television on? Whether it’s an iron, coffeemaker, hair straightener or other appliance, a home automation system takes away that extra worry. With smart plugs, you can remotely turn outlets on and off, protecting you from a possible fire. You can even set your plugs on a timer, so that after a set number of minutes, your appliances automatically turn off, saving you the worry and burden of having to return home to check them.

Smart plugs can also help you save on your energy bill. Did you know small appliances use energy just because they’re plugged in? Turn off the outlets when you’re at work or on vacation, so your toaster, blender, coffeemaker and anything else won’t drain energy—or your wallet—while you’re away.