{"id":33984,"date":"2018-01-31T22:06:18","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T06:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/?p=33984"},"modified":"2018-01-31T22:06:18","modified_gmt":"2018-02-01T06:06:18","slug":"smarten-up-your-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/smarten-up-your-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Smarten Up Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Simple ways you can make your home more efficient<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-33985 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/thermostat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"295\" height=\"221\" \/>There is a virtual explosion of smart home technology on the market. The talking points on each item claim to make your life easier and your home a lot more capable. Given this publicity, it can be a challenge to sift through it all. However, you can smarten your home without wreaking havoc on your budget or putting your personal information at risk. Here are a couple ideas to get you started:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Secure your home Wi-Fi.<\/strong> Since most smart home devices connect through your Wi-Fi, you must protect your Wi-Fi network from hacking. A good first step is to ensure your home wireless network uses Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol and that you employ a strong, complex password. Also, give your Wi-Fi network an obscure ID, withholding your name and home address.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Strengthen your Wi-Fi signal.<\/strong> Sounds simple, but install up-to-date hardware. Make sure you have the most current router available. Next, ensure your router delivers a robust Wi-Fi signal throughout your home. It may seem unattractive, but the router needs to be on a flat, elevated surface, free of obstruction, and preferably in the center of your home to ensure the widest coverage area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have further questions, ask your internet service provider (ISP) or any of our local computer solutions professionals. Once you cover these basics, we recommend a few products that offer more savings in comparison to their grandparent devices.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Smart Thermostats.<\/strong> A Wi-Fi-enabled or \u201csmart\u201d thermostat works with your existing home heating system so you can keep tabs on the temperature from anywhere using a simple online interface or mobile app. This allows you to reduce energy use, lower your bill and maintain optimum home comfort, all from the touchpad on a smartphone. PenLight offers a $100 incentive on select models. Check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/rebate-programs\/\">rebate programs section<\/a>\u00a0to learn more.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Smart Lighting.<\/strong> There is a wide array of smart lighting options. These range from a simple screw-in bulb to smart dimmer switches and more, all with the ability to pair with a smartphone app. Smart bulbs use LED and other technology that make them internet-capable, so they cost more than a traditional or simple LED lightbulb. However, smart bulbs use far less energy, last a lot longer and are interactive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are considering ways to smarten up your home this year, these are a few ways to get started. With just a few simple, straightforward steps, you can ensure your home runs more efficiently. If you have questions about these and other energy-efficient appliances, such as heat pumps or water heaters, email us at <a href=\"mailto:EnergySpecialist@Penlight.org\">EnergySpecialist@Penlight.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Simple ways you can make your home more efficient There is a virtual explosion of smart home technology on the market. The talking points on each item claim to make your life easier and your home a lot more capable. Given this publicity, it can be a challenge to sift through it all. However, you [&#8230;]\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":33985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[375,374],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33984"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33984"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33984\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}