Sensors, apps and smart devices: the expensive bill is fought (also) with technology

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A hot autumn, very anomalous as far as temperatures are concerned, and precisely for this reason of great advantage for millions of families who are affected by the “sting” of bills in the last months of the year. Climate tantrums aside, expensive energy is a problem and the thought of containing the costs of electricity and gas is necessarily a priority on the agenda for many. The measures envisaged by the government, for the downward regulation of thermostats and the reduced operation of heaters in condominiums, may in fact not be enough to keep household budgets in balance and it is in this scenario that technologies, smart appliances and new generation systems.

A first way to consider, budget permitting, concerns the replacement of the heating and air conditioning systems already in use in favor of decidedly more energy efficient solutions such as a heat pump water heater or a condensing boiler, which indicatively (according to the findings of Italtherm, an Italian company specializing in this sector) make it possible to save up to 30% of methane and electricity consumption for an independent apartment. Another way, much more expensive (net of the tax benefits for the energy requalification still in place), is the one that leads to the complete redefinition of the plants.

The more “intelligent” and rational use of energy for daily home life (for cooking, showering or powering the various appliances) remains in any case at the top of the list of actions to be taken and digital can help users precisely in this context, calculating and suggesting a more virtuous model of consumption. The new Energy Cockpit feature from tado ° goes precisely in this direction. Those who have smart thermostats, radiators with thermostatic heads and underfloor heating at home, will now be able to have full control of their bills thanks to a forecasting system that will allow them to compare the charges to be paid the following month with those of the months and years. previous. Compared to the expected 70% increase in costs, in other words, with a smart thermostat (and functions such as geofencing, which automatically turns off the heating when the house is empty) and a mobile app (through which to enter meter readings and create real usage models) you can manage energy consumption directly from your smartphone, aiming for savings that the German company calculates in the order of 22%.

Among the solutions that promise to consume less there are also those that refer to Matter, the universal standard for interoperability between different smart home devices desired by Google and espoused by all or almost all consumer electronics brands. Among these, Samsung has just announced the release of a function that will allow devices compatible with the new IoT “protocol” to be connected to SmartThings, the open platform that acts as the thinking brain of the connected home in the vision of the Korean giant. . The advantage? Being able to control all Matter devices connected to the network from a single application (the SmartThings Android app or the Google Home app), instead of using many and made by different manufacturers, and consequently further optimize the consumption of refrigerators, TVs, air conditioners and other equipment (Samsung and not only) plugged into the power outlet.

Then there is a last way, if we want the most immediate, to start reducing consumption. And it is to intervene on small links in the domestic energy chain such as the thermostatic valves of the radiators and the bulbs of the house lights. The former, in particular, allow you to adjust the heat emanation of the single radiator as desired and there are different types: the digital ones can also be managed remotely via smartphone and PC, they support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and respond to commands. vocals, promising energy savings of up to 30%. These days, a saving not to be underestimated.