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Smarthome's May Home Automation Month Helps Consumers Take Control of Their Electricity Bills
Simple Home Automation Changes Can Save Money and Energy;
INSTEON Home Control Contest Offers $1,000 Shopping Spree
Irvine, CA -- May 01, 2007 - Consumers are often concerned by the size of their electricity bills and wonder where all that electricity goes. Many people are surprised to learn that interior and exterior lighting are, in fact, the largest piece of the residential electrical usage pie.
Research by the California Energy Commission shows that lighting accounts for about 22 percent of home electricity use. Consumers who reduce the energy consumption of their lighting systems can make a discernable difference in their overall energy bills.
Smarthome a division of SmartLabs, Inc. and the world's leading provider of home automation products, is helping consumers save money and energy during its May Home Automation Month. Smarthome will promote home automation products that help consumers make simple changes that create electricity savings, such as changing light bulbs, using solar-powered products and dimming lights. Additionally, it will run a contest to find consumers who are using INSTEON technology to control their "smart home."
"We want consumers to take advantage of the latest home automation products and technologies like INSTEON to see more 'green,'" said Bruce Matthews, vice president of marketing, Smarthome, "And, we are putting our money where our mouth is with our contest to find out about innovative ways consumers are using home automation to improve their lives while saving money and the environment."
See the Light
Start by replacing as many incandescent lights as possible with compact fluorescent lights. Smaller and more efficient, these lights work in the same manner as florescent tubes. They feature screw bases and are shaped in a manner that allows them to fit into fixtures designed for incandescent bulbs. They produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs but use up to 66 percent less energy. And, although the initial investment is higher, they last 10 times longer and run much cooler than incandescent lights.
Fluorescent tubes have changed in recent years as well. These lights last 10 to 15 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and product innovations have made them attractive to a new generation of consumers. Florescent tubes are now available in a variety of colors and sizes, and that annoying buzz is a thing of the past. They often provide just the right light for kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms.
Take Control
Not so long ago, lighting control systems were available only in high-end or custom homes at a high installation cost. Today, new products and wireless home control technologies such as INSTEON put them within reach of any homeowner. Affordable and intuitive, today's systems are easily installed.
In an INSTEON lighting system, keypads and controllers are used to remotely turn lights on and off and to change their intensity. Consumers enjoy the convenience-and the cost savings-of being able to punch a button on a keypad by the front door and turn off all the lights in their home when they leave for the day, or the security of having a keypad in the garage that turns on selected downstairs lights so they never go into a dark house.
Visit www.smarthome.com for these and other home automation products that help save money and increase energy efficiency.
Enter Contest
Consumers who are interested in trying or who are currently using INSTEON technology to automate their homes can enter Smarthome's Home Control Contest until June 15, 2007. Consumers can either submit a written description or post a video showing how they are using home control products (including at least one INSTEON-compatible product) to increase energy efficiency, improve security, or control lighting or whole-home entertainment systems. The winner will receive a $1,000 shopping spree. For details visit www.smarthome.com/ehiha07.html.
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