We dare you to find a person who doesn't like saving money and energy at the same time. Good for your wallet and for the environment, this list of gadgets and tools will help you save money on your heating and water bills and improve your home's energy footprint over a long period of time. If you're tired of watching your hard-earned money go down the drain (both literally and figuratively), consider an investment in these five eco-friendly gadgets:
Ditch Your Thermostat
Nest is a beautiful, highly-intelligent alterative to your old-fashioned thermostat that will immediately cause you to wonder why you hadn't replaced it long ago. It's programmable and learns your heating and cooling habits over the first few weeks of operation, allowing it to automatically adjust your home's heating and cooling as outdoor temperatures change. Plus, it works with your smartphone over your Wi-Fi network, allowing for expanded control and easy adjustments.
Upgrade Your Shower Heads
Despite the seeming illogical nature of the concept, it's true that you can reduce your shower's water usage while increasing its pressure and performance. How? Intelligent, low-flow design that is non-aerated, reducing temperature loss and improving energy savings. That's what the Niagara Earth Handheld Showerheads promise and deliver.
Water Smart
Combining robotics, cloud technology, and networked devices, the Droplet is a smart sprinkler for the 21st century. Ditch the old-fashioned “green gun” and enjoy over $250 per year back in your wallet. The Droplet uses 10% of a traditional sprinkler and waters plants based on the local environment, current weather conditions, and the individual plant species' water requirements.
Heat Smarter
Radiant heating panels from Warmly Yours double as beautiful mirrors, converting infrared heat from your walls, ceilings, and objects in the room into gentle warmth. This creates a much more energy-efficient bathroom environment and eliminates the need for air circulation of allergens and contaminants, improving your home's indoor air quality, too.
Replace Your Washing Machine
For a low-tech alternative compared to the rest of the list, The Laundry POD is a perfect example of low-tech meeting modern engineering and design. It's a portable clothes washer that uses about 20 percent of the water and detergent as regular washing machines and uses zero energy - unless you count a few dozen cranks on your part. Once you're done, line-dry your clothes and drain your water into a sink or on your grass (with eco-friendly detergent).
For more tips on saving money on your plumbing or heating costs, contact the team at Pioneer Plumbing and Heating to get expert analysis of the various systems in your home.
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