Appliances Are Getting Smarter—Here’s How!

We have written before about many different kinds of ways to save energy. Now, you have a new option: you can increase your home’s energy efficiency and save money on your energy bills by using smart appliances.

Smart appliances use digital technology that allows the appliances to process information and communicate with other devices. Other smart devices like a smartphone or smart thermostat process information to increase their efficiency and can send that information to its user.

How can a smart appliance save you energy? In general, you can save energy with smart appliances by using the data collected by them to make smart decisions about your energy consumption.

One such way is to run your energy-guzzling appliances during off-peak hours. Off-peak hours are times when energy usage is significantly lower across the power grid because businesses are closed. Energy use in homes is lower in volume, too. This generally happens between the hours of 11PM and 7AM each day. The opportunity for savings occurs because, during these hours, you can receive much lower energy rates from the power company. This energy saving opportunity can be maximized when you use energy-needy appliances during these hours.

Smart appliances come into the picture because they allow you to schedule your appliances to run during these hours, which is an incredibly efficient way to save money on your energy bills. Additionally, this functionality can be utilized to allow you to operate your appliances when you are not at home. Imagine being able to do your dishes and your laundry while at work or running errands!

Check out some of the smart appliances displayed at CES 2015 to learn more about cutting-edge smart appliances.