Smart homes
Are smart homes energy efficient?
See where controls, automation, and monitoring can help—and where savings are likely to remain small.
Smart-home energy guides
Use smart-home technology to understand and control energy—not to promise magic savings.
Automation can reduce waste when it changes a real load at the right time. The useful first question is whether you need better information, better control, or a building and equipment improvement instead.
Start with the decision you need to make
Smart-home tools are most useful when they help you measure a pattern, change a schedule, or reduce unnecessary runtime. They are not a substitute for fixing an inefficient major appliance or a building problem.
Device settings
What does power saving mode do?
Understand the practical trade-offs of a device power-saving setting before treating it as a household energy strategy.
Measurement
Is a home energy monitor worth it?
Choose a monitor when the missing piece is reliable information about when and where electricity is being used.
Match the tool to the question
A plug-in meter answers a question about one appliance; a whole-home monitor can help investigate patterns across the service. Neither one automatically reduces use without a useful action afterward.
Compare methods
Plug-in meter or whole-home monitor?
Use the right measurement method for a single appliance, a circuit, or the full home.
Outlet control
Where smart power strips help
Learn which standby loads can be controlled automatically and why the total saving is often modest.
High-bill diagnosis
Find the real source of a high bill
Start with kWh, billing days, rate components, and major loads before selecting a device.
Use controls after you understand the load
For a bill change, begin with the Lower Electricity Bills hub. For equipment and building improvements, use the Home Energy Efficiency hub and Heating, Cooling & Appliances hub.