I’ve definitely noticed a small dip in my bill after getting obsessive about unplugging things, but honestly, it’s not a life-changing amount. Still, there’s something oddly rewarding about seeing the stats improve—even if it’s just a few bucks. I think it’s more about feeling in control of the tech in my house. Have you tried automating any of it with smart plugs or timers? That made things easier for me and took some of the guilt out of forgetting.
I think it’s more about feeling in control of the tech in my house.
That’s exactly it for me too. I started with a couple of smart plugs just to see if it’d make a dent, but honestly, the real win was not having to run around unplugging stuff every night. The savings are nice, but I’m more interested in how this could scale—like, if you had a rental property or two, would automating everything actually make a bigger difference? Or is it still just pennies per month? Curious if anyone’s tracked that across multiple places.
I hear you on the control thing. I’ve worked on a few remodels where folks wanted everything automated—lights, locks, thermostats, you name it. For a regular house, the energy savings from smart plugs and switches aren’t huge, but the convenience is hard to beat. Now, when you’re talking rental properties, it gets a bit more interesting.
If you’ve got multiple units, automating things like heat/AC and lighting can actually add up, especially if tenants forget to turn stuff off or leave windows open with the AC blasting. I’ve seen owners set up remote monitoring so they can check if a unit’s empty and just shut everything down from their phone. That’s where you start seeing more than just “pennies”—maybe not a fortune, but enough to notice.
One thing though: the more tech you add, the more stuff there is to troubleshoot when it glitches. Had a client call me at 10pm because their “smart” lock wouldn’t let them in... so there’s that tradeoff.
Honestly, I get the appeal—being able to shut off a whole house from your phone feels like living in the future. But I keep coming back to this bit:
the more tech you add, the more stuff there is to troubleshoot when it glitches. Had a client call me at 10pm because their “smart” lock wouldn’t let them in... so there’s that tradeoff.
That right there is my biggest hang-up. I’ve done flips where we installed all the bells and whistles, and it’s great until something goes sideways. Then suddenly you’re the IT guy for your own house. Or worse, you’re fielding calls from tenants who can’t get in because Alexa decided to take a nap.
I will say, though, for rentals it makes a lot of sense. I’ve seen utility bills drop when landlords can control the heat or AC remotely—especially in student rentals where “windows open, AC blasting” seems to be a sport. Just wish these systems came with a “dumb mode” for when the tech acts up. Sometimes a good old-fashioned key or light switch is just less headache.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I think most of the “tech headache” is just growing pains. Once you get used to the quirks, it’s not that bad. I’ve had fewer issues with my smart lock than with the old deadbolt that used to stick every winter. Plus, if you pick stuff that’s got a manual override, you’re covered either way. I’d rather deal with an app update than rekeying a lock at midnight.
