In the last soloution, we discussed some of the things you can do to save on energy costs around your home. Simple ideas like thermostat upgrades and making the most of sun light. If you missed it, or just want to read it again, check it out here: How can I save on electricity and heating bills?

Here are some more ideas on how to save on energy cost that you might not have thought about.

Just to refresh everyone's memory, we are back in the last 70's or so it seems. The Energy Crisis is here again. Since most of us don't live in a hydroelectric dam and need electricity to live and surf the Internet, we need to find ways to save money on energy and save it for spending on-line at Smarthome.

Dimmers CAN reduce electricity consumption
Frequently, we get calls and emails from skeptics who challenge the idea that dimmers on lights actually save money. Dimmers do indeed reduce the current or amps flowing to a load. With a reduced current, there will be a reduced consumption by the load, measured in watts. While no one wants to get into the math that makes all this work, it's easy to observe that less light, means less heat from the lamp, which will lead to less power (watts) used.

Wall dimmers are great for providing only the amount of light you need. Just last week, I replaced a light bulb on my porch. After putting in a 75-watt bulb, since that was all I had, the porch was lighted like a television stage. Being too cheap to run to the store to get a lower wattage bulb, I adjusted my dimmer to 50%. A SwitchLinc 2-Way dimmer was installed on this circuit and adjusting the "Preset Dim" mode was easy. Turn on the switch and adjust the light's dim level to the desired level. Then press the small set button (on the right side in the middle) once and from that point on when the switch is activated manually or by remote control, it will come on to 50%.

Wall switch dimmers are not perfect devices when it comes to reducing wattage. They will consume a little energy on their own. If you have used any of our X10 wall dimmers, some of you may have noticed that they get a little warm while the lights are on. In fact, most X10 dimmers will consume and dissipate, in the form of heat, about one watt of energy per 100-watts controlled. This means that a dimmer switch controlling 400 watts of lighting will dissipate about four watts at the wall switch. This dissipation is what makes a wall switch warm to the touch. It is completely safe and within UL specifications.

X10 wall switches are easily installed in the same wall box as regular mechanical switches. In most cases, it is as simple as removing the two wires from the existing switch and attaching the wires from the new switch to the wires in the wire. Some switches will require a third neutral wire in order to operate. We note the ones that need this third wire on our web site.

Besides saving energy because of the switches ability to dim, they also have additional benefits. Most of the wall switches will gently fade on and off when activated. This gradual increase in the voltage to the lamp will prolong the bulb's life. Instead of getting a jolt of electricity when switched on by a mechanical switch, the bulb will slowly be applied with electricity.

X10 dimmers will also add security to your home. Timers, home automation interfaces, and remote controls can control the light switches. Using a Keychain Remote Control, your family can switch on a few lights before entering what was once a dark house. Using a timer, you can program a porch light to come on at 6pm and off at 9pm. Now, you don't have to leave the porch light running all night because you forget to turn it off before going to bed.

The big energy consumers; pools and spas
Some conservation experts advocate first looking for ways to reduce electrical consumption of devices that draw the most power. Pools and spa are one such area where a few small changes can add up to savings very quickly. The pumps to run most pools are rated anywhere 120 volts and consuming 15 amps to 220 volts and consuming 20 amps. To get an idea of the wattage equivalent, multiply the voltage by the current. For example, if your hot tub is connected by way of two 15-amp circuit breaker, which means it's getting 220 volts; multiply 220 by 15 to get an approximation of the comparable wattage. In this case, it's about 3300 watts or about the same as leaving all the lights in your house on all the time! So much can be done here.

Mechanical timers are now used control most pool pumps. This type of device uses a series of pins or trippers to turn on and off the electricity. Frequently, these systems only allow for few settings or are frequently missing the trippers that start and stop the pool pump. Replacing this unit with an X10 intelligent switch is straightforward. If your pool has a 120-volt motor, use one of our Wall Switch Relay Modules. If the pump is 220 volts, then use this X10 Heavy Duty 220V Wall Switch. Unlike the dimmer switch discussed earlier, these switches don't have any dimming ability and contain a 'hard-contact' relay. These switches also don't generate any internal heat from the load they are handling.

Now that you have a remote controllable switch on your pool, it's time to program it to start and stop. Spend some time with your pool maintenance expert or the folks at the local pool supply store to learn how long the system needs to run each day. These experts know your local climate and by asking you a few questions, they can estimate the minimum time the system needs to run each day. You can decrease the amount of chemicals used and increase the effectiveness of those chemicals by staggering the pump's run time. If the recommended run time is five hours per day, you can use a timer or home automation interface to break up the times it runs into multiple segments. This will prolong the motor's life and it will maximize the effectiveness of the chemicals. You can run the system less in the winter and more in the summer. With a temperature sensor connected to your home automation interface, the pump can be commanded to come on if it is 85 degrees or higher.

For hot tubs and heated spas, automation is much simpler. If you have a model that is electrically heated, use the same switches recommended above for models that are hardwired to the home's electrical system. For plug in models, use the Leviton Heavy Duty X10 Receptacles to replace the existing AC outlet with an automated one. To control the spa, program your timer or computer interface to run it several hours before it is normally used.