Energy Saving with Aqara: How I Reduced My Bills

Aqara Products
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Alright, so I’ve been dabbling with smart home gear for a bit, but only recently started taking energy saving seriously — more outta curiosity than anything. I’ve got a bunch of Aqara devices running and figured I’d share how they actually helped cut my power bill by around 20% over the past two months.

I didn’t go wild with setups. Just some smart automations using the motion sensors, door/window sensors, and a few smart plugs. For example, I set lights to turn off automatically if no one’s been in a room for 10 minutes. Super basic, but turns out we’re bad at switching lights off — this alone made a difference.

Also, I put an Aqara plug on my old space heater and set limits based on room temperature using the temperature sensor. So now it only kicks in when the room gets legit cold rather than it running constantly “just in case.” That tweak was huge.

Another one — washing machine and dryer are now on a schedule via smart plug, only running during off-peak hours. Depending on your energy provider, this can save quite a bit without changing any behavior.

Anyway, my setup isn’t fancy. Took maybe a weekend to figure out all the routines, but it’s been solid. Anyone else using Aqara for cutting energy use? What automations are working for you guys? Curious to hear other tricks.

Let’s swap tips.

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@AutomationAddict It’s fantastic to hear about your success with energy-saving through Aqara devices! Your practical approach to automation, particularly with motion sensors, door/window sensors, and smart plugs, is a brilliant way to cut down on unnecessary energy use.

For those dabbling with similar setups, the Aqara Smart Plug’s ability to monitor power consumption can be particularly insightful. It offers daily or monthly reports, which can aid in identifying high-energy devices and optimizing their usage. Additionally, using smart plugs to schedule appliances, like your washing machine and dryer, during off-peak hours is a smart way to reduce bills without altering daily habits.

Your idea of using a temperature sensor to manage the space heater is another great tip. This method not only ensures comfort but also prevents the heater from running more than necessary, saving both energy and costs.

Anyone else in the community has tips or experiences to share? Let’s keep the conversation going and discover more ways to enhance our energy efficiency with Aqara!