With state of the art technology at our fingertips, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be conserving more time, money, and resources with all of the efficient energy-saving products and their corresponding apps, which is why we’ve rounded up some of our favorite eco-friendly gadgets just for you. 

Some of these products will be more practical and affordable than others, starting at around $200, but with the rapid growth of this particular market, there should soon come a time where the pricier products, currently up to $3,500, become much more attainable for the average homeowner.

Until then, it’s still a good idea to get a feel for the technology that’s available, especially when it comes to saving our precious resources, like time, energy, and money, so that we can spend more of it doing what’s most important to us.

1. August Smart Lock 

This nifty lock saves you time, money, and hassle by allowing your smartphone to be the key to your front door, which means you never have to copy keys again. With the August Smart Lock and app, you can lock and unlock your door from your cell phone, create virtual keys for your guests or residential employees, and have a record of who comes and goes, like notifications when your kids arrive home from school. You can grant access for specific periods of time – down to the day and the hour, plus you can delete guest access instantly.

2. Philips Hue LED Light Bulbs 

Once the Philips Hue system is set up you can add up to 50 Philips hue lights, luminaries, switches, and other accessories all from the specially designed smartphone app. There are many energy saving products to choose from with varying features like smart control, away from home control, light schedules, setting an alarm that allows your lights to wake you up, syncing with music, changing the colors of the bulbs, and so much more. These products can be purchased at your local hardware store and starter kits are available.

3. Nest Learning Thermostat 

In about half an hour you can replace your current thermostat with the Nest Learning Thermostat that adapts to your life and the changing seasons to automatically provide you with the most ideal temperatures. This smart and attractive little gadget only needs a week of programming to learn your habits. It also knows when you’re away from home and will automatically change the temperature in order to conserve energy. The Nest’s app allows you to control the temp when you’re away so you can make sure the house is at the ideal temperature before you, your family, or guests arrive home. These are readily available at hardware stores.

4. LG Smart ThinQ Refrigerator

The large capacity luxury refrigerator boasts plenty of great storage features, but is famous for its built-in 8-inch Wi-Fi LCD screen. This tablet-like monitor is the heart of the refrigerator’s smart design and it works as a mini computer that’s focused on your needs. One particular refrigerator inventory app can keep track of your groceries, letting you know what you need, what you already have, and what’s ready to expire, so you save time, money, and waste less food. It is also capable of running other apps, including one for recipes, groceries, memos, a calendar, photos, temperature settings, and more.

5. WeatherTRAK sprinklers 

A helpful tool for all of your irrigation needs, this advanced controller works with 6, 8, or 12 station sprinklers and can be managed from your smartphone. This is especially helpful for those of you who have water restrictions in place, as it’s EPA WaterSense approved and has a SWAT smart performance score of one hundred percent. You can save time, money, and water thanks to remote alerts and the ability to manage from your app anywhere, anytime. It also has one-touch customer support right at your fingertips.

We hope you enjoyed our selection of energy saving products and their apps. Now that you’ve seen a few of the products available, we want to hear from you. How far are you willing to go to make your life more efficient? Would you like to see any of these products in your own home? Let us know your thoughts on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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Image of Woman with Smartphone via Shutterstock

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We’ve all “heard” about green rebates, but what about turning those mutterings into cold, hard cash?

Evidently, there’s more than $4 billion in eco-rebates out there, just sitting on some contractor or retailer’s shelf – in your zip code, under your nose, literally at your fingertips. According to a 2011 survey from Harris Interactive, only 13% of homeowners make home improvements that allow them to take advantage of these billions. More than 60% of Americans are completely in the dark that they even exist. Ironic, considering that all utility payers (renters, too) pay into these rebate programs via those Delphian surcharges.

Thankfully our intrepid reporting has led us to a free, easy, user-friendly service with a cute interface called Save Big Bread. It’s the Kayak of the home improvement industry with a two-pronged green approach:

1. Customers can save lots of green from their searchable database.

2. Contractors and manufacturers are authorized to provide energy-efficient, rebate-heavy products and services that are beneficial for our planet’s well-being.

Homeowners in the market for prohibitively expensive home improvement items (furnaces, windows, air-conditioning units, solar panels) can get a quote from SaveBigBread linking to state, utility and manufacture programs offering green rebates.

At this point you might be rolling your eyes to the tune of rebates, shmeebates. But we’re not talking $5 off a $78 Very Sexy ® push-up from Victoria’s Secret. These rebates can equate to significant savings worth thousands of dollars.

As a rule, rebates are not as sexy as the Very Sexy ® bra. That’s the fault of bad copywriting.

“These rebates are a mirage,” explains Tony Maull, founder and President of Save Big Bread. “The way they’ve been marketed these programs are not consumer friendly.”

Save Big Bread is about transparency and access to attainable, digestible information.

“What we’ve done is taken on the burden of going into the program sites and structuring that information. We rationalize it and let the consumer choose…the savings, and the people who can do the work authorized by the program.”

They will even help you with the paperwork, ensuring that the rebate materializes not as concept but as actual, spendable cash. Victoria’s Secret is not going to give you that kind of boost.

Image: Installation of the Toncelli Eurocucina at the 2012 International Kitchen Furniture Exhibition in Milan

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These edgy hand-painted candles will save you energy and rock your mantle.

The story goes that interior designer Lisa Carrier made a candle for Cher using hand painted Italian lace, rhinestones, silver studs and Swarovski crystals. Cher loved it so much that she commissioned several for her closest friends, thus launching Carrier’s career as a much sought after chandler.

We heart candles because at this time of year, they are both practical and flattering. Flattering, because we always look better in candlelight than we do under the kindest glare of bulbs, and practical because as daylight decreases, our energy usage creeps up.

Carrier’s paraffin pillar candles are scented with gardenia, jasmine, juniper berries, pinecones, vanilla, amber and black incense. Lovely. They also make for perfect seasonal gifts: the skull for Halloween; the Star of David for Chanukah; a cross from Christmas. Available from the designer for $90.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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