Carter Oosterhouse helps homeowners make the renovations they think are impossible on his HGTV show “Carter Can.” We asked him for some tips on how people can implement smart technology to make their homes more energy efficient.
How has the increased capability of connecting smart devices to homes made buildings greener?
Homes are now so much more intelligent and so much more efficient, and smart gadgets are largely to thank for that. Homes are so well integrated with smartphones or smart devices, which helps reduce your electric bill, and you don’t spend a ton from energy consumption from your appliances.
That includes making sure your HVAC system is not running when it’s not needed and that your pool is set to the right temperature. You can do this all by just getting on your smart gadget, and that convenience will make you more inclined to reduce consumption.
How can homeowners use smart technology to make their homes more energy efficient?
Now I’m not the most tech-savvy person, but I love to find interesting items that simply make my life easier and help me cut back on a bit of consumption. One device in particular I’ve put in my house is from Schneider Electric and it’s called a Square D. Once it’s set up, it starts to figure out and sense what appliances are using energy and where your energy consumption is coming from. The device will give notices like, “This is the main HVAC system,” and “We’ve noticed you have two heaters in your home.” For example, when you’re not home, it will send an alert to your phone if something was left on, and it will alert you when you’re using more energy than average.
These kinds of things are just so dynamic in the home. They’re helping us help the Earth, but at the same time, if we’re trying to save a little bit of money at the end of the month, something like this really goes above and beyond to help you out.
