Top 9 'Bill-Busting' Smart Home Devices to try for Slashing Your Energy Use this weekend - Goh Ling Yong
We’ve all been there. You see the utility bill in your inbox or mailbox and feel that little pang of dread. You open it, scan down to the total, and let out a sigh. "How did it get so high this month?" With energy prices on a seemingly endless upward climb, it feels like we’re fighting a losing battle. But what if I told you the secret to slashing that bill isn't about sitting in the dark or living with a spartan-like discipline?
The secret is working smarter, not harder. Your home is filled with devices that silently drain power, often when you're not even using them. The solution lies in a new generation of technology that’s more accessible and affordable than ever: smart home devices. Forget the futuristic, complicated setups you’ve seen in movies. Today’s smart home is about practical, targeted control that puts you back in the driver's seat of your energy consumption.
This isn't just about convenience; it's about precision. It's about telling your home exactly what you need, when you need it, and—crucially—what you don't need. This weekend, you can make a few simple upgrades that will start paying you back immediately. Here are the top nine bill-busting smart home devices that will transform your home into an energy-efficient haven.
1. The Smart Thermostat: Your HVAC's New Brain
If there's one energy villain in most homes, it's the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. It can account for nearly half of your total energy bill! A traditional thermostat is a blunt instrument—you set a temperature, and it runs until it gets there. A programmable one is a step up, but it’s rigid and can’t adapt to real-life schedule changes. A smart thermostat, however, is a game-changer.
These devices, from brands like Nest, Ecobee, and Honeywell, learn your daily routines. They know when you leave for work, when you’re on your way home (using your phone's location, a feature called geofencing), and when you’re asleep. They automatically adjust the temperature to save energy when you’re not around and ensure your home is perfectly comfortable the moment you walk in. They can even factor in local weather forecasts to pre-cool or pre-heat your home more efficiently.
- Pro Tip: Don't fight the learning process. For the first week, use your smart thermostat as you normally would. It will build a profile of your habits. Then, check the app's energy reports. You’ll be amazed to see exactly when you’re using the most energy and can make small tweaks to your schedule for huge savings. Even a one-degree adjustment can save up to 3-5% on your heating and cooling costs.
2. Smart Plugs: The Gateway to a Smarter Home
Ever heard of "vampire power" or "phantom load"? It's the electricity consumed by your electronics even when they’re turned off or in standby mode. Your TV, your game console, your coffee maker, your phone chargers—they are all constantly sipping power. Individually, it’s a tiny amount, but together, it can add up to 10% of your electricity bill. Smart plugs are the stake through the vampire’s heart.
These simple, affordable devices plug into any standard outlet. You then plug your appliance into the smart plug. Now, you can control that outlet from your phone or with your voice. More importantly, you can set schedules. Have your entire entertainment center (TV, soundbar, gaming console) plugged into a power strip that’s connected to a smart plug. You can create a schedule to completely cut power to it from midnight to 6 a.m., eliminating all that wasteful phantom load.
- Pro Tip: Start with the biggest offenders. Your media center is a great first target. Other excellent candidates include kitchen appliances that have a clock (like a microwave or coffee machine), phone and laptop charging stations, and lamps in rooms you don't use often. For just a few dollars per plug, the payback period is incredibly short.
3. Smart LED Lighting: Illuminate Your Savings
Lighting is another significant chunk of your energy bill. The first and most obvious step is switching to LED bulbs, which use up to 80% less energy than old-school incandescent bulbs. But smart lighting takes this a giant leap further. Smart bulbs and smart switches give you unparalleled control over every light in your home.
With smart lighting, you can dim lights without needing a special dimmer switch, change their color temperature to match the time of day, and, most importantly for your wallet, put them on a schedule. You can set all the lights in your home to turn off automatically at 11 p.m. or when your phone leaves the house. You can connect them to motion sensors so that lights in a pantry, bathroom, or hallway are only on when someone is actually there. No more yelling at the kids to turn off the lights!
- Pro Tip: Create "scenes" for different activities. A "Movie Night" scene could dim the living room lights to 30%. A "Goodnight" scene could turn off every light in the house with a single command. For high-traffic areas like hallways or kitchens, consider installing smart switches instead of individual smart bulbs. One switch can control an entire bank of lights, making it a more cost-effective upgrade.
4. Smart Power Strips: The Smart Plug's Bigger Sibling
If you love the idea of a smart plug but look at your desk or entertainment center and see a tangled mess of six or eight different cords, the smart power strip is your new best friend. These operate on the same principle but offer individual control over each outlet on the strip.
This is where you can get really granular with your energy savings. For your computer setup, you can have the outlets for your monitor and printer turn off completely when you shut down your PC, while keeping the outlet for your router always on. For your TV setup, you can cut power to the game console and Blu-ray player but leave the TV itself in a low-power standby mode if you prefer. It combines the phantom-load-busting power of a smart plug with the convenience of a multi-outlet strip.
- Pro Tip: Look for a smart power strip that includes USB ports. This allows you to schedule charging for your tablets and phones, preventing them from drawing power all night long after they're already fully charged.
5. Smart Blinds or Curtains: Passive Climate Control
This is one of the coolest—and most effective—ways to save energy, and it has nothing to do with electricity consumption itself. Your windows are a major source of heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. Smart blinds, shades, or curtain openers allow you to automate the process of managing that solar energy.
Imagine this: On a hot summer day, your smart blinds automatically close on the east-facing windows in the morning and the west-facing windows in the afternoon, blocking the intense sun and keeping your home cooler. This drastically reduces the load on your air conditioner. In the winter, they do the opposite, opening up to let in the warm sunlight and passively heat your home. You can set them on a schedule based on the time of day, the season, or even the current temperature.
- Pro Tip: Integrate your smart blinds with your smart thermostat. Many systems can work together. For example, you can create a rule: "If the indoor temperature rises above 24°C between noon and 4 p.m., close the living room blinds." This proactive approach stops your home from getting hot in the first place.
6. Smart Ceiling Fans: A Refreshing Twist on Efficiency
A ceiling fan doesn't cool the air; it creates a wind-chill effect that makes you feel cooler. This simple fact can save you a fortune. By using a fan, you can raise the setting on your thermostat by a few degrees and feel just as comfortable, saving a significant amount on your AC costs. A smart ceiling fan makes this process effortless.
Smart fans can be controlled via an app or voice assistant, but their real power comes from integration. They can work with your smart thermostat to turn on automatically when the room hits a certain temperature. Some advanced models even have temperature and humidity sensors built-in, allowing them to adjust their speed for optimal comfort and efficiency without you ever touching a thing.
- Pro Tip: Remember to reverse the direction of your fan in the winter! A smart fan makes this easy to do from an app. Running the blades clockwise on a low speed will push the warm air that has risen to the ceiling back down into the living space, helping your heating system work more efficiently.
7. Whole-Home Energy Monitor: Know Where Your Energy Goes
This device is less about direct control and more about powerful information. Here at the Goh Ling Yong blog, we're big believers in the principle: "what gets measured, gets managed." A whole-home energy monitor, like the Sense or Emporia Vue, clamps onto the main breakers in your electrical panel and uses machine learning to identify the unique electrical signature of different appliances in your home.
Over time, it learns to tell you exactly how much electricity your refrigerator is using versus your AC, your dryer, or your "always-on" phantom loads. It presents this information in a user-friendly app, showing you in real-time and in dollars and cents where your energy is going. This knowledge is power. You might discover that your old, inefficient garage freezer is costing you an extra RM50 a month, making the decision to upgrade a no-brainer.
- Pro Tip: Use the monitor to conduct experiments. Try running your dishwasher on its "eco" setting and see the real-world difference in kWh. Unplug your media center for a day and see how much your baseline "always on" load drops. This device turns energy saving from a guessing game into a precise science.
8. Smart Appliances: The Next Generation of Efficiency
While replacing a major appliance is a big investment, if you're already in the market for a new washer, dryer, dishwasher, or refrigerator, choosing a smart model can lead to long-term savings. These appliances go beyond simple Energy Star ratings.
A smart washing machine can be scheduled to run during off-peak electricity hours when rates are lower. A smart dryer can use sensors to stop the cycle the moment your clothes are dry, preventing wasteful over-drying. A smart refrigerator can alert you if the door is left ajar and allows you to precisely control the temperature of different compartments, ensuring optimal efficiency.
- Pro Tip: Look for appliances that can connect to your utility provider's demand-response programs. In some areas, the power company will offer you a credit on your bill for allowing them to slightly adjust your appliance's run time during periods of peak energy demand. It’s an easy way to save money for a minor, often unnoticeable, inconvenience.
9. Smart Water Heater Controller: Taming the Silent Energy Hog
After your HVAC system, the single biggest energy consumer in most homes is the water heater. It's constantly working to keep a large tank of water hot, 24/7, just in case you need it. This is incredibly wasteful, especially when you're asleep or away from home. A smart water heater controller is an easy-to-install device that puts this energy hog on a leash.
These controllers connect to your existing electric water heater and allow you to set a detailed schedule from your phone. You can tell it to stop heating the water when you leave for work and to start it up again an hour before you get home. Many have a "vacation mode" that drops the temperature to a minimum level while you're away, saving a tremendous amount of energy. It ensures you have hot water when you need it and stops paying to heat it when you don't.
- Pro Tip: Don't set your schedule too aggressively at first. Start by scheduling it to be off during the 8-10 hours you're at work or asleep. Modern water heaters are well-insulated and will keep water hot for several hours. You'll likely find you can have it off for most of the day without ever noticing a difference—except on your bill.
Your Smarter, Cheaper Home Awaits
Stepping into the world of smart home technology can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. You don't need to automate your entire house overnight. The journey to a more efficient and less expensive home can start this weekend with a single smart plug or a new thermostat.
Each of these devices offers a return on your investment—not just in the convenience and control they provide, but in real, tangible savings on your monthly utility bills. By making your home's energy consumption more intentional and precise, you take back control. You're no longer a passive consumer at the mercy of rising rates; you're an active manager of your home's resources.
So, what's your first step? Are you ready to tackle the HVAC with a smart thermostat, or will you start small by vanquishing the vampire power with a few smart plugs?
Let us know in the comments below! Which bill-busting device are you most excited to try?
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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