Home Autumn-ation: How A Smart Home Can Reduce Your Fuel Bills This Autumn
Time to dust off your hats, scarves and wellies… autumn is here!
All of a sudden, the temperature’s dropped, and for most of us, that means an unsavoury chill throughout the house. “It’s only October”, you say to yourself, and optimistically pull on a second pair of socks.
But the days wear on, and the thought of getting out of bed and heading into the freezing cold bathroom is starting to become almost unbearable. So, begrudgingly, on goes the central heating and up goes the fuel bill.
Or maybe not. A quick Google search will reveal umpteen ways of saving money on your heating bills, from installing an inflatable chimney balloon to blu-tacking aluminium foil behind your radiator. If you’re not thrilled by either of those ideas, how about temperature sensors?
With a temperature sensor, the temperature of each room can be accurately recorded, monitored and adjusted. Temperature sensors are inexpensive and can easily be placed behind switches. Alternatively, if you are planning a retrofit project, you’ll find a temperature sensor built into our Smart Socket Air.
Individual room control is perfect for saving money on your fuel bill, since you only heat the rooms you use, when you use them. This means a lovely warm bathroom in the mornings, and a cosy sitting room at night, not the other way around. The Miniserver even knows when it needs to heat up and how much time is needed to achieve the perfect temperature.
Working Late
You’re busily daydreaming about returning to your cosy home and settling down on the sofa in the living room to watch The X Factor, when lo and behold, something “crops up” – an urgent report, a last minute task, whatever it may be. Now, not only are you facing the prospect of missing out on Louis Walsh’s “insightful” comments, but the heating will go on at six o’clock, and no-one’s going to be home!
Fear not! Just open up the Loxone app, and with a couple of taps, you can stop the house being heated until you’re ready to head home. If you’re still longing for Louis, there’s always ITV +1.
The Nights Are Drawing In…
“In a dark, dark wood, there was a dark, dark house. In the dark, dark, house there was a dark, dark room. In the dark, dark room…”, well, you get the idea…we all know how the story goes.
If only the owner of this dark, dark house had considered installing presence sensors, no-one would be walking into any ‘dark, dark’ rooms again. Admitted, it wouldn’t make much of a ghost story, but it would make life a lot easier.
Presence sensors are a great choice when thinking about your lighting (and can be integrated with your burglar alarm and multiroom audio set up, too).
Did you know that leaving lights on is energy sin #1? Luckily, with a presence sensor, you can forget all about this happening to you…if the presence sensor detects that no-one is using a room, the light will be turned off. No more scary electricity bills!
Trick or Treat!
If, like many, you’re gearing up for an evening of answering your door to pint-sized pirates and friendly Frankensteins, you don’t want to be bothered by the teenage tricksters who ring your doorbell and run away (or stand there armed with eggs and toilet paper). With a Loxone Intercom, you can see who’s at the door from the comfort of your sofa, so you only need get up to give out treats, and can avoid those tricks.
Have your own little trick or treaters crashed out after a major sugar rush? Why not configure your lights to flash when the doorbell is pressed instead of the doorbell sounding, so as not to wake them up?
Remember, Remember…
Bonfire Night is one of the most notorious days of the year for break-ins and burglaries, according to Aviva, with many people leaving their back (and front) doors open to let guests in for parties. Once again, the Intercom can come to the rescue here, as when the doorbell rings, you simply open up your phone and with a few quick taps, the door is unlocked to let them in.
If you’re concerned about unwanted visitors, consider door & window contacts. By placing these sensors on every external door and easily accessible window, you can rest at ease knowing that if anyone were to gain access, your Miniserver would respond and call you immediately, via our Cloud Caller Service.
Door & window contacts also play their part in lowering your energy bills: If you have the heating on and decide to open the window, the Miniserver will respond and lower the temperature in that room, meaning that you get all the fresh air you need without the large heating bill!
Rain, Rain, Go Away…
Remember how much rain we had last year?
A water sensor can help you keep your home dry and is a good choice if you’re afraid of frozen pipes bursting, or excess rainwater flooding your home.
Installing a rain sensor will ensure that any motorised Velux windows in attic rooms are closed automatically at the first sight of rain.
Where Can I Find Out More?
We’ve mentioned just a few ways that your smart home can save you money this autumn, but there are many more. If you’re planning a project with energy efficiency in mind, why not chat to a member of our project planning team on 01183 130 140, or book in for a free project consultation?
If you’d like to find out more about how to get the maximum functionality from your Loxone Smart Home, take a look at the Loxone Standard – a guide to the sensors we recommend are used in every install.