Home automation can be affordable! The most basic and inexpensive device - a programmable thermostat - can cut energy costs. Programming to set the temperature back 10 to 15 percent for eight hours a day (from 72 to 65 degrees F in the winter, for example) can save up to 15 percent annually on your heating bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Your own routine and seasonal shifts of schedules with heating/cooling control, can increase your savings further.
Technology is changing so fast that digital and wireless automated systems cost a fraction of what they did a few years ago, yet they offer the same or even better functionality. Programmable thermostat costs anywhere from about $30 to about $100. Whole-house automation systems can range from about $5,000 to about $30,000 depending on the size of your home and the complexity of the system. Yet, a simple start up package are well under $2000.
Outline your objectives for a system and evaluate the initial cost, the expected return on investment, the ability to upgrade or expand the system, and the ease of use.
