<p>Smart thermostats emerged more than a decade ago with first-generation models from ecobee and Google Nest and have since become one of the most well-known and popular smart home devices. And for good reason as these devices promise numerous benefits around convenience, comfort and energy savings.</p> <p>Smart thermostats automate a heating and cooling schedule based on either your inputs or habits and make it possible to adjust the temperature of your home from wherever you are. Some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiFKHoXv-Yo">smart thermostats</a> au ..read more

<p>If you&rsquo;re interested in becoming a smarter, more empowered energy consumer, having a firm grasp on what your monthly energy bill is telling you is an ideal place to start. Your bill will have helpful information on how you&rsquo;re being charged for the energy you&rsquo;re using and your typical habits for using energy at home, and it can help you develop a plan for saving energy.&nbsp;</p> <p>In this month&rsquo;s blog, we look at three tips for better understanding your energy bills:</p> <h3><strong>1. Check how many kilowatt-h ..read more

<p>Over the last decade, energy companies have spent billions modernizing our electric grid. This has involved installing smart technologies, like <a href="https://www.whatissmartenergy.org/smart-meters">smart meters</a> and sensors, to optimize the delivery of power to your home and making other improvements, such as adding battery storage or undergrounding power lines, to boost the reliability and performance of the grid.</p> <p>These improvements are collectively known as &ldquo;grid modernization&rdquo; and are a key part of creating a smarter and clea ..read more

<p>More and more consumers are electrifying their lives as they look for ways to lower their carbon footprints, improve the energy efficiency of their homes and play their part in addressing climate change.</p> <p>While the growth of electric vehicles (EVs) has received a lot of press in recent years, consumers are also considering technologies inside their homes, such as induction cooktops, electric water heaters and air-source heat pumps.</p> <p>In this month&rsquo;s blog, we look at three reasons to consider a heat pump for your HVAC system:</p> <h ..read more

<p>As more and more consumers look to lower their carbon footprints and improve the energy efficiency of their homes, home electrification &ndash; the process of moving cooking, water heating, space heating and more to electricty &ndash; has begun gaining momentum in recent years.</p> <p>Now, with the passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which includes <a href="https://www.energy.gov/scep/home-energy-rebates-programs">$8.8 billion in rebates</a> for home energy efficiency and electrification projects, the move to electrify will only accel ..read more

<p>As the energy industry continues to evolve, power companies are increasingly offering <a href="http://whatissmartenergy.org/smart-energy-101/the-what-how-and-why-of-electric-rate-plans">new rate plans</a> that better align the cost you pay for the electricity you use at home with the cost to generate that electricity.</p> <p>EnergySage explains that your power company&rsquo;s &ldquo;cost of electricity changes throughout the day for various reasons. Traditionally, as demand for electricity increases throughout the day, so too does the cost of generating ..read more

<p>With its milder temperatures and lower humidity, autumn is a great time to make energy-efficient improvements and other energy-related changes around your home (as we noted in this <a href="http://whatissmartenergy.org/energy-blog/7-smart-energy-tips-for-fall">recent blog post</a>).&nbsp;However, some improvements, like upgrading your HVAC system or installing solar panels on your roof, can put some serious strain on your wallet &ndash; even if they end up paying for themselves in the long run.</p> <p>In this month&rsquo;s blog, we look at five step ..read more

<p>You may have noticed the sleek, high-tech design of a smart thermostat on the wall of a neighbor&rsquo;s house or on display at a big box retailer. Or you may even have one of these smart home devices yourself. However, you may not be aware of the extent of their energy-saving capabilities.</p> <p>While smart thermostats can quickly improve the comfort and convenience of a home, they also open the door to a number of new ways to save energy, and many of these opportunities are unknown and underutilized even by people who have had a smart thermostat in their home for ye ..read more

<p>Over the last decade or more, the energy industry has been undergoing a major transition.&nbsp;</p> <p>This includes generating more energy from renewable sources like wind, solar and hydro, encouraging the growth of technologies like electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps and smart thermostats, and much more.</p> <p>In 2023, this trend has continued, and through the first half of the year, there have been a number of facts and figures that showcase just how quickly the industry is moving toward a smarter, cleaner and more efficient future.</p> <p> ..read more

<p>One of the major challenges of the modern electric grid has been dealing with times of high demand. Each day, we use a predictable &ldquo;minimum amount of power, called <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/demand-response.htm">the baseload</a>.&rdquo;</p> <p>However, at times, like the late afternoon when people come home from work or during times of extremely hot weather, electricity usage spikes, which can be costly and, in some cases, can threaten the stability of the grid.</p> <p>To deal with these time ..read more