Thermostats: the bigger lever
Heating and cooling are nearly half of a typical US household’s energy bill, according to ENERGY STAR, and certified smart thermostats save about 8% of that on average. The savings come from not heating or cooling an empty home. A learning thermostat like the Nest Learning Thermostat does this automatically.
- Learns your schedule automatically
- Matter brings it to Apple Home and Alexa
- Remote temperature sensor included
- One of the most expensive thermostats
- The remote sensor doesn’t appear in Apple Home or Matter
Skip it if you rent, or your heating system isn’t compatible. Check Google’s compatibility tool before buying.
Smart plugs: find the vampires first
The Department of Energy says standby power, the electricity devices draw while ‘off’, accounts for 5 to 10% of home energy use. An energy-monitoring plug shows you which devices are worst. Move it around for a few days at a time: TV and games setups, older appliances, and chargers are common culprits.
- Matter setup works in every major home app
- Energy tracking with cost estimates
- Slim, doesn’t block the second outlet
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only
- Apple Home remote control needs a HomePod or Apple TV
Skip it if you only use Alexa and never care about energy data. The Amazon Smart Plug is simpler and usually cheaper.
Five habits that make the savings real
Buying the device is the easy part. These habits do the saving:
- 1Let the thermostat use eco or away temperatures. Don’t override them daily.
- 2Schedule entertainment setups to switch off overnight.
- 3Turn off always-on devices you forgot existed, like old speakers and set-top boxes.
- 4Use sunset schedules for lamps rather than leaving them on ‘just in case’.
- 5Check the energy graphs after a month and adjust.