Smart lights are becoming more and more popular. Simply connect it to your smartphone, tablet, or smart speaker, and you can easily control the color, intensity, and even when your lights come on. For all the convenience they provide, are they worth it?
So, are your smart lights actually saving you any money?
If used correctly, yes, smart lights can save you money in the long run. By setting them up to turn off when you’re not home, or when they’ve been on for a certain amount of time, your smaller electricity bill will eventually cover the cost of installing the smart lights.
Let’s look at some of the ways smart lights save you money, and some tips on how to save even more!
How Do Smart Lights Save Me Money?
Most smart light bulbs cost around $30 each, so installing a few in your ceiling or around the room can become expensive. Color changing and dimming smart light bulbs will cost more than ones that simply just turn on and off. Here are some ways to regain that cost.
They are long lasting
Smart light bulbs last far longer than normal filament light bulbs. This is because most smart lights are actually LED lights rather than old fashioned filament wire. LED lights light up instantly whereas traditional bulbs may take a few minutes to warm up to full illumination.
Smart light bulbs are also far less fragile. Because they are typically made of plastic, they will withstand more punishment. Say you accidentally knock a lamp of a side table, a smart bulb is more likely to survive. No more trips to the shops for yet another 60-watt bulb.
You Can Set them on a timer
We’ve all left the lights on occasionally. It happens all the time, everyone is human. If you set the smart lights to turn off when you are out, or when you know you will not need them, you can save that little bit that adds up over time.
Many smart light controllers have an option to turn them off completely. This can be convenient if you are in bed and cannot be bothered to get up and turn all the lights out. We’ve all been there. Simply tap a button and stop your electricity bill running up.
You could even set them on a timer to avoid burglaries. Normally people leave their lights on the whole time they are away on vacation. Setting your smart lights on a timer will make your lighting seem like you are home, while also not keeping the lights on all night.
They are Eco-friendly
That’s right, eco-friendly smart lights exist. They use less electricity for the same amount of light. For a normal filament light bulb, an eco smart bulb can run for a whole day for the same amount of electricity.
As well as saving on your carbon footprint, you will have the benefit of more spare money to spend on other eco-friendly swaps around the house.
Ultimately, we all need to reduce our carbon footprint, why not make the swap? If your friends come round and see your voice controlled color changing lights they will surely want to get some themselves. You could be the trend setter for eco-friendly lighting.
Although some smart lights use electricity even when they are off, it is a tiny amount. Some smart lights need this in order to be able to be ready to receive the signal to turn on. Overall, you will still be saving a lot of money on the electricity with smart lights.
How Much Can You Save With Smart Lights?
Let’s crunch some hypothetical numbers to look at the real savings to be had from buying and installing smart bulbs.
Say you have 20 light bulbs in your house that are not smart lights. By replacing them all with smart bulbs you will save on average $76 a year on electricity bills. Although this does not seem like a lot, smart lights will last for around 15,000 hours of lighting.
Now let’s say that a light in your house is typically only turned on for around 6 hours a day, when you wake up in the morning, or in the evening before you go to bed. In this case, 15,000 hours of lighting translates to around 7 years of use out of each smart light on average.
So you could save around $532 per smart bulb’s lifespan compared to an old fashioned incandescent bulb lasting the same amount of time.
Compared to the cost of 20 smart lights—let’s say $30 each for the basic version—just one smart light can cover the cost of you replacing all your lights with smart lights in just 8 years.
Another thing to factor in is how often incandescent bulbs break. We’ve all got boxes of spare bulbs in the closet, why not do away with having to constantly replace the unreliable incandescent bulbs?
The Takeaway
Color changing, voice controlled, dimming, remote controlled, the list goes on for the benefits of smart lights. Beyond these convenient aspects they will also help save your wallet. The less lights you have to replace, the quicker you will begin saving money.
For the average homeowner, reducing monthly outgoings is vital. With rent prices and housing costs only going up, scrimping the pennies here and there will add up to big differences in the long run. Smart lights may be the first move in reducing your outgoings and increasing your disposable income.
Not only are smart bulbs money saving and more eco-friendly than old fashioned incandescent bulbs, they can also be linked to apps and smart speakers. You can rest assured that no kids or friends will leave the lights burning all night, running up your bill.
So look into getting some smart lights, if the savings aren’t enough to convince you just imagine changing the color of the room without having to press any buttons.