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Top Gadgets to Make Your Appliances More Energy Efficient

You put in a lot of time choosing the most energy efficient appliances you can find, and you work hard to cut back on energy use around the house. But what if there was a way to make your electric bill even lower with very little effort? Introducing the five gadgets you didn’t know you needed that will help you reduce your energy use even more.

Energy-Saving Outlets

Raise your hand if you leave your charger plugged in all the time? Even if you don’t have an actual device connected to it, it is still sucking up energy. That’s where Belkin’s energy-saving outlet comes in. You choose how long you want it on for (either 30 minutes, three hours, or six hours), and when the time is up, it shuts off on its own. This is great for chargers, as well as other devices you prefer to leave plugged in when not in use, like curling irons or space heaters.

Personal Lighting Systems

Forgetting to turn off the lights when leaving a room is all too common, and it is a big waste of energy. With personal lighting systems, like the Hue Line, you can have all of your light bulbs programmed to turn on and off and adjust their brightness level depending on the time of the day. Whether you’re watching television, reading, cleaning, or doing any other household task, you can regulate brightness levels to meet your needs.

Automatically Adjusting Windows

Your windows are a big source of lost heat during the winter, and in the summer, they let in way too much heat. RavenWindow is here to solve that. These smart windows can control how much light and heat passes through the windows with built-in sensors and the ability to self tint.

Solar-Powered Water Heaters

If your water heater still relies on natural gas or electricity to operate, then you are going to want to look into solar-powered water heaters. By collecting the sun’s rays and turning them into energy, you can basically eliminate the expense of heating the water. Not only can you use them for the water you use for showers and washing dishes, you can also hook them up to a swimming pool or floor-heating system.

Infrared Heating Panels

Infrared heating panels are a relatively new way to heat your home, and they are much more efficient and safe than space heaters. They mount on your wall and heat the walls and objects in the room. Once these surfaces are warmed, they emit the heat into the room, so you are literally receiving heat from every angle. As a bonus, you don’t have to worry about dust or allergens getting blown around like you do with standard heating systems.

Having a truly efficient home takes a joint effort: You need to have energy efficient appliances, you need to be proactive in your own energy usage, and you need to implement the use of gadgets to fill in the gaps along the way.

Courtney Tracy works within the energy conservation industry to help businesses become more efficient in energy usage. She also works with companies to assess needs, educate employees, and provide recommendations to develop a more energy efficient work environment.