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Sometimes saving energy\u00a0isn’t\u00a0about trimming consumption or cutting back. Sometimes it\u2019s about going shopping! We all know about replacing older, inefficient appliances and consumer products with newer and more energy-conserving models, and on top of that there are also new ideas and new ways of doing things with less energy. Here are five of the top energy-saving devices for your home.<\/p>\n
A Bright Idea: Philips HUE Line<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Philips HUE line<\/a> of LED-based light bulbs pack great energy savings \u2013 the light of a 50-watt incandescent while drawing as little as 10 watts, and lasting 25 times as long as the old bulbs. But what\u2019s cool about them is that each HUE can adjust in color, allowing you to change the lighting in your house to suit any desired\u00a0ambiance\u00a0 What\u2019s even cooler is that you can use your smartphone to control the HUE bulbs \u2013 adjusting on\/off status, brightness, and color!<\/p>\n Shorter Showers: \u00a0Efergy Shower Alarm<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Wasting water is easy to do in the shower, but it\u2019s often hard to realize how long\u00a0we’ve\u00a0been under that warm waterfall, especially on cold mornings. The Efergy shower alarm<\/a> lets you measure your shower\u2019s water flow, then set the desired amount of water to be used per shower. The handy suction-cup-mounted alarm (waterproof, naturally) goes off when you\u2019ve hit the target. A great way to get kids, especially, to be aware of water usage.<\/p>\n Monitor and Measure Electricity Use: \u00a0MeterPlug<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Knowing which appliances are running up the electric bill is sometimes a guessing game \u2013 new big-ticket items will come with a pretty reliable estimate of their power requirements, but for measuring the use of older and smaller devices, you\u2019re on your own \u2013 or you were. MeterPlug<\/a> to the rescue! This handy little metering device\u00a0couldn’t\u00a0be simpler. Just plug it into the outlet, then plug the appliance or item into MeterPlug. The meter will send usage information to your smartphone via Bluetooth, and soon you\u2019ll know exactly how much juice your video game console or hair dryer is using.<\/p>\n The Self-Programming Thermostat: Nest Thermostat<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Programmable thermostats are a handy way to get your home\u2019s heating and cooling under control \u2013 but sometimes it\u2019s a bit of a guesswork process. Is 69 the right temperature for those cool spring mornings, or would 65 be enough to keep off the chill? Until you experiment, it\u2019s difficult to know for sure \u2013 and the experimentation will be time-consuming and expensive. Enter the Nest learning thermostat<\/a>! The Nest lets you manually set the heating and cooling levels to what\u2019s comfortable, then learns that preferred pattern and starts running your home\u2019s climate control system efficiently and to your exact preferences.<\/p>\n