Our world is pretty awesome. It’s the only place (that we know of) that can support us, and it’s filled with wonders. We could all do more to take care of it, like using energy-saving tech to limit our use of natural resources.
Whether it’s turning your light bulbs off via voice assistant when you’re not in the room, or automatically turning off your sprinkler, small changes can make a big difference in the long run.
That could be as small of a change as using a reusable shopping bag when you get groceries. Think of how much oil and energy are needed to make a plastic disposable bag and get it to the checkout aisle.
On the tech front, there are many products available that can help reduce your carbon footprint, while also saving some money. From whole-house battery backups or thermostats that learn your routine, we’ve gathered the best energy-saving tech available in 2022.
The best energy-saving tech for 2022
Energy-saving tech is easier on the planet, easier on you, and easier on your wallet. That’s a triple threat against climate change, and we’re here for it. Here are some of our favorite energy-saving tools and gadgets.
Eve systems
Apple users will love Eve Systems and their premium HomeKit-connected, eco-friendly tech. I’ve got it scattered around my house to turn off my tech when I forget. I use the Energy Strip with its triple sockets to manage my TV and other A/V equipment when I’m not using it, and it’s Siri-compatible.
The best device for me is the Eve Aqua, which lets me schedule when my sprinkler system goes on and off, so my newly laid turf doesn’t wither away.
Google Nest Thermostat
For years now, I’ve had a Nest Learning Thermostat controlling my central air system. I always hated having to get up to change the dial on the thermostat, and now I can do it from my smartphone, or ask my voice assistant to change it. I’ve saved money too, with it knowing when I leave the house so it adjusts the temperature to use less energy while I’m not home.
Yes, it’s expensive to buy at first. That said, the Nest paid for itself within a few months, and it’s the first thing I’d suggest to reduce your energy consumption.
Itehil IT500 500W LiFePo4 Portable Power station with solar panels
There is almost no reason to have a gas generator for emergencies these days, with battery banks and solar panels being more affordable than ever. Itehil’s power station gives you 500Wh of storage, with two 120V AC sockets to keep your most important tech running in the event you lose power.
It’s portable too, so it’s perfect for camping trips when you want to unplug, but not all the way. Bundle one with some solar panels so you never have to worry about finding a wall socket.
LED lightbulbs from Philips Hue
LED lighting is one of the most eco-friendly things you can add to your house. They last longer than traditional bulbs, so they stay out of the landfill. They’re more energy-efficient, so use less power.
You can even get ones like the Philips Hue range that are wirelessly controlled, allowing you to change the color, and the brightness, or even schedule their on/off times. The best part for me? You can ask your voice assistant to turn off the bulbs if you forget before you leave the room.
Pale Blue rechargeables
Rechargeable batteries are one way to drastically reduce your waste profile. Unlike traditional NiCad tech, Lithium-based batteries don’t suffer from memory effects or weirdness when they’re at lower charge levels.
Pale Blue’s Lithium rechargeable batteries take things one step further, by packing the charging circuit into the battery. All you need is a USB cable to recharge, so no more lugging bulky chargers around. I’ve been using their batteries for a year or so, and am slowly replacing all of my other rechargeables because they’re just that good.
Sense home energy monitor
Maybe you’d rather know what in your house uses energy, so you can plan your own methods for reducing their usage. Sense mounts in your breaker box, and over time, learns which of your appliances and other electrical devices are doing, well, whatever they do.
Primarily telling you how much energy everything uses, you can also keep informed about when they’re using it. With a whole-house picture of your energy use, you can reduce your footprint and save money.
ChargePoint Home WiFi Enabled Electric Vehicle Charger
Tesla has their own wall plug for electric vehicles (EV), but what if you own another brand of EV or everyone in the family has a different car? ChargePoint’s Home Flex is the answer, with a 16 to 50 amp wall charger that works with every single EV. We like that. Everyone likes what they like, and what’s the point of green tech if not everyone can use it?
EcoFlow Delta Pro
Having a battery backup around for emergency use is great. The not-so-great part is that you usually have to recharge them from the wall, with energy that you have no control over the generation of. The Ecoflow Delta Pro gives you options to charge it up from home-mounted solar panels, movable solar panels, or even a gas generator in a pinch.
The wider ecosystem adds additional battery capacity, monitoring, and even the ability to wire it into your home to work as a backup if your neighborhood has a blackout. We really appreciate the ability to choose where your energy comes from, and where it goes.
Okai Neon escooter
Fossil fuel emissions are a huge source of pollution. For short trips, maybe consider an electric scooter, like this stylish Neon. With a top speed of 16mph and a 25-mile range, it’s perfect for running errands.
We particularly like the fact that Okai’s pedigree is tried and tested in the most rigorous way. How? They’re the OEM for many of the ride-sharing scooter companies like Bird or Lime. If they can survive commuter use, imagine how sturdy they’ll be for you.
LiveLarq reusable water bottle
One of the best things you can do to save your energy footprint is to switch to a reusable water bottle. The PureVis from Larq is coated stainless steel so it’ll handle being thrown around. The best part about it though is inside the cap. That’s a UV-C LED that disinfects your water while you’re not drinking it, so you never have to worry about bacteria or other germs.
Shrink your footprint while adding convenience with energy-saving tech
Whether you want to make your home an oasis of eco-friendly technology, or simply hate turning off light bulbs, we hope you’ve seen something that could fit into your lifestyle.
That could be monitoring your energy usage to manually change your habits, or even automating your energy savings so algorithms save you money.
These picks are our favorite of the best energy-saving tech we’ve used to date. We’ll revisit this every so often to make sure that our picks still make sense, or add to them as we see better options.
Our planet isn’t going away any time soon, but we could all do more to look after it.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
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