Everything You Should Know About Smart Home Lighting
It seems like only recently that the idea of the smart home seemed like a distant possibility. However, the future is now, thanks to a wide range of smart home technologies. The internet-of-things movement has taken over the tech scene, providing consumers with a variety of options to improve and connect with their home. From digital thermostats that learn your habits to smart speakers such as the Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa, technology has made great inroads in the home. Smart home lighting is one of the most commonly adopted technologies for improving your house. Here’s everything you should know about the way smart lighting can transform your living experience.
Smart Lighting Encompasses A Range Of Items
Smart lighting is more than just smart light bulbs, although bulbs are a key component of any smart lighting suite. Smart lighting can also refer to light switches and wall panels that help you control your lights, as well as hubs to connect with using your mobile device. While some people like to use their phones to control their lights, voice assistants are also becoming increasingly popular. Before you purchase any smart LED bulbs, make sure that you understand how you want to be able to operate your lights, because not every platform supports every bulb.
Pricing Is Competitive
People think that smart bulbs are expensive, but that’s simply not true. While smart bulbs used to cost anywhere from $30 to $50, bulbs from major manufacturers are now in the $15 range. Energy efficiency standards have gotten better over the years, too, allowing production costs to get even cheaper. While this slightly higher cost may cause you to slowly replace the bulbs in your house a room at a time, when you consider their longevity, spending only $150 on 10 bulbs throughout your home is quite a deal.
Smart Lighting Can Save You Money And Help Your Health
On their own, LED bulbs can help you save money each year. LED bulbs cost only about a dollar to operate annually, whereas traditional incandescent bulbs may cost anywhere from $6 to $10 a year. Even better, smart lights allow you to save on your energy bill by reducing the amount of time that your lights are on in the house. If you and the family are all gone for the day, you can turn all of your lights off with a quick tap on your phone, ensuring that no lights are left on.
Studies have also showed that smart lighting can be beneficial for improving your sleep cycle. If you struggle to wake up or fall asleep, programming your smart lights may be able to help you get a better night’s rest. For example, by setting your lights to gradually turn on in the morning, you can mimic a sunrise, even in the dead of winter. This helps your body respond to a more natural cue than a noisy alarm clock, helping you get the most out of your sleep each night.
A Professional Can Help
While you might be tempted to try to rewire your home yourself, more complex integrations with smart home lighting are sometimes better left to professionals. Even if you have some DIY experience of your own, a company such as Apex Audio Video has a bigger track record of serving customers and helping them combine all of their wishes to create the smart home of their dreams. From integrations with security systems to speakers and even HVAC, the service is well worth pursuing if you really want your smart home to be designed and executed well.
It can be easy to go off the deep end when you first come across a new technology, especially one that can improve the way you live and go about your day. Smart lighting is one such technology, so it helps to learn as much as possible about its benefits before you adopt it. Speaking with a professional company can also ensure that you get the most out of your investment, so that you can enjoy your smart devices for a lifetime.