Remembering all the energy conservation tips we learn is hard. Why not let these gadgets do the heavy lifting for you?

Turn off lights when you’re not in the room. Reduce the setting of the thermostat by 4 degrees when you leave the house or go to sleep. Unplug unnecessary devices when they’re not in use. The list of “easy” ways to save energy grows longer by the day, and some of us are better at executing them than others.

And just to make things more complicated, we’ve recently discovered phantom energy leaks–energy that’s wasted when devices are plugged in, but not in use.

Thankfully, energy conservation gadgets are emerging every day. Leveraging the power of smart and mobile technologies, these devices bring the “set it and forget it” mantra into the realm of energy conservation. These gadgets will remember to save energy even when you forget while also making it possible to monitor your energy usage from afar, and over time! (And they also make great holiday presents for the green geeks on your list.)

 5 Energy Conservation Gadgets That Work (Even When You’re Not Home!)

1. EcoGuard Smart Outlet & Meter

Developed by Telkonet, this gadget has the ability to monitor and stop the flow of power to one or both outlets, turning off lamps, televisions, appliances, and any other energy-consuming appliances when the room is unoccupied. The EcoGuard [PDF] also monitors cost, voltage, amperage, kWh, and other metrics in 15-minute increments. The only drawback is that it’s only designed to work with Telkonet’s EcoSmart energy management system. If you’re not ready for that type of investment, check out the Belkin Conserve Socket ($9.99) that can be programmed to turn off during certain periods of the day.

2. Nest Thermostat

These days, it’s hard to read anything about home energy conservation without a mention of the super-sexy Nest Thermostat. Like many gadgets these days, the Nest is intelligent, which means it can learn from your habits to optimize its own performance. Instead of complicated programming, you just turn the Nest thermostat up and down to suit your needs. After about two weeks, it will learn your habits, and begin to adjust itself based on the time of day. When you’re not around, it can be controlled from your phone.

3. Conserve Valet Smart USB Charging Station

I’m pretty good about turning off lights and managing the thermostat, but one thing that often makes me wince is plugging my phone in to charge, and then totally forgetting about it. Not only is this bad for my smartphone battery, it’s also a big waste of energy. The Conserve Valet Smart USB Charging Station from Belkin solves this problem beautifully. The table top gadget lets you charge all of your mobile devices in one convenient place, and automatically shuts off power—including standby power—after devices are fully charged. It even senses when new devices are added so you always get a full charge, and has an innovative cord management system to keep things neat.

4. Ecobutton Halo

Did you know your laptop or tablet has a plethora of settings to help conserve energy? Even more important, do you know where they are and how to manage them? Yeah. Ecobutton Halo is an affordable, plug-and-play device that’s meant to make energy conservation easier when it comes to computers. This simple USB plug-in instantly puts your computer into the most efficient sleep mode possible. “If you get up to get a cup of coffee, just tap the Eco Button and you’ll save energy while you’re away. When you return, tap the button again and your computer will instantly wake up, showing how much energy you saved and returning to your previous screen,” explains the Alliance to Save Energy. And it’s only $9.99!

5. Lutron Maestro Dimmer Switch with Occupancy Sensor

OK, this is for all of you with forgetful kids and spouses that are always leaving every light in the house burning bright. The Lutron Maestro Dimmer with Occupancy Sensor has a 150 degree motion detector with an angle up to 30 feet, so when the room is empty, the lights automatically turn themselves off. You can also pre-program the sensitivity and the time or operate it manually.

Related on Ecosalon:

The Green Kitchen: Painless Energy Conservation

10 Must-Have Green Gadgets for Your Home

10 Handy Green Gadgets You’ll Love To Use

Top image: nilsvik

The post 5 Energy Conservation Gadgets That Work (Even When You’re Not Home!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Is upping the intelligence of your home appliances worth the stress on your bank account? Ecosalon investigates smart appliances to help you decide.

According to a 2012 poll from Pike Research, worldwide sales of smart appliances will reach 45 million by the end of the decade. Since most of us have kicked, dropped, or wanted to hurl an appliance out the window at least once in our lives, you might be wondering what makes tomorrow’s devices so smart.

Let’s start with something familiar. What makes your phone a smartphone? You might say internet connectivity, intuitive design, and the ability to “talk” with other devices that utilize its same operating system. The same is true of next-gen appliances, and then some.

As Daily Finance explains, smart appliances are those major household items that “use intelligent power management technology to help optimize electrical load on the power distribution grid…[and] offer consumers the benefits of reduced energy usage, lower energy costs, lower carbon emissions, and advanced features such as remote control.”

These intelligent, connected appliances close the loop that’s been started by the rollout of the smart grid, which allows for the instant monitoring of energy consumption and transfer of that information in real time between smart meters, the utility company, and back again.

Now, in addition to getting your dishes clean, a smart dishwasher can monitor the price of electricity, starting its cycle in non-peak hours to save you some money. Your smart dryer can let you know that the load is done by pinging your smart phone, and your smart refrigerator can keep track of the food on its shelves, and find recipes to match that inventory.

Sound like you’re living with the Jetsons? It’s not far off.

But like everything, this new technology comes with a fairly hefty price tag. And like my die-hard greenie friends always tell me, “the greenest products are the ones you don’t buy.” If your dishwasher or fridge or dryer is in perfect working order, is it really that “green” to upgrade to a smarter version?

The first thing to consider is how much value they’ll actually add to your life. Would it be nice for your appliances to do all the thinking and conserving for you? Yes. Is it really that hard to only run the dishwasher at night or walk downstairs to check the dryer yourself? No.

Then there’s the issue of connectivity. Smart appliances only work if your home is on the smart grid. If your home’s already been upgraded to a smart meter (digital rather than the analog meter that someone comes to read once a month) you’re good to go. If not, there’s no point in upgrading.

Also, true to form, most major brands have designed their smart appliances with limited compatibility. That means your LG fridge really wants to talk to an LG dishwasher and washing machine. And if an appliance uses the Android platform, but you’ve got an iPhone, forget about all those fancy alerts and analytics.

Lastly, there’s the issues of repair and security. Do you really want to have to call a “genius” every time your fridge makes a funny sound? Or worry about hackers messing with your dishwasher settings? Don’t laugh–security companies are already working on anti-virus solutions for connected homes, not just individual devices.

The last word: if your 30-year-old appliance is on its last leg, you’ve got the money (and smart meter), and are interested in being an early adopter–go for the smart version. It will give you a peek into the future, impress your friends, and probably save you some money.

If your appliances are newish and functional, keep your money. In a few years, there will be fewer kinks, more to gain, and probably a smaller price tag.

Image: Samsung Tomorrow

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