To be fair, I'm not expecting you to actually read to your home. There is also no need for it to go to college and learn Latin. What we're going to talk about today is making your home a little smarter by adding some technology to the mix. The objective is to make our homes (and the systems therein) work "for" us and not just be a monthly channel for outgoing money. Last week I watched myself turn off a lightswitch (in a room nobody was actually IN) and heard myself say "Is anybody in here? I guess not. I'll turn off the light". Just like I had heard echoing in our home as a teenager. It turns out we really DO become our parents. ( Happy Father's Day, Dad!)

It is no secret that HVAC is one of the more expensive systems in a home. We certainly see our share of temperature extremes in New Hampshire and having both systems functioning is pretty important to one's comfort. This is especially true for those of us who work from home. The installation (and subsequent programming) of a smart thermostat is one of the best ways to make your home more efficient and take advantage of some significant savings.

On the simpler side of this would be setting a schedule for the heat/air conditioning to turn on and off. Having the home warm up before you crawl out of bed and cool off as soon as you leave for work is a great way to take advantage of this functionality. Sure, we could all just do that ourselves. (Of course, you'd have to play rock/paper/scissors to see who has to get out of bed to turn on the heat every morning.) The beauty of having a programmable thermostat is it is not something that you ever have to remember again. It also allows you to be more efficient with the timing and maybe even utilize the heat when it is at its lowest rate from the power company!

Over on the more sophisticated side is the ability to program the HVAC system to be coordinated with the current weather, the current occupancy of the home as well as the placement of multiple temperature sensors throughout. These systems can control, not only the heat and A/C, but fans and window shades as well. Once you get past the most basic systems you are also able to control it remotely with your phone or an online app. The primary goal of these systems is to put you in control and make it easier to make good decisions about your energy usage. "Many of these new systems are controllable via smartphone," notes Badger Peabody & Smith Realty (formerly Badger Realty) agent, Rachael Brown. "Being able to manage heat and lights while we're out of town is one of my favorite features and helps us save money regardless of what Mother Nature throws us," she continued.

Next on the list are light switches, bulbs and everything "lighting". One of the cooler devices I found were bulbs and room sensors that ensure that everything is turned off when there is no one in the room. I think most of us have seen these in fancy restaurants and hotel rooms. Not only does it feel cool to have a light come on when you walk in the room, imagine how happy our collective dads will be to see all of those empty rooms without any lights on!

The next item is a bit nerdy (even for me) but after seeing it in action, I'm a believer. We had an electrician come to the house and install the "Sense" energy monitoring system. Amazing that such a simple device can provide some incredible feedback on your energy usage. We have learned what items in the house are the biggest draw and which items are not an issue at all. It has also been very interesting to see the cost of keeping the hot tub "hot" come down as the temperature rises. An obvious conclusion, but still neat to see it in real numbers.

One of the other fascinating things we learned is how those small items that we ALL leave plugged in ALL the time are actually drawing power. Of course they seem insignificant on their own, but as you walk around the house and add them all up (or let the Sense do that for you!) you will likely be amazed (horrified?) at the money you are wasting just keeping the power connected to your TV (just as one example).

Shifting gears completely away from electricity, let's talk about water. One of the best things you can do (besides eliminating a ton of your wasteful lawn) is install smart watering systems for your landscaping and watering. I worked at a golf course over in Campton a while back and learned all about the irrigation system. From that point forward I have always appreciated automated watering systems and encourage everyone to head down that path as well. The "better" systems incorporate rain gauges so you don't waste water by keeping the sprinklers running if the ground is saturated.

There are lots of options you have for upgrading your smart home. I encourage you to do a little homework of your own and see which ones make the most sense for your house and your lifestyle. I am confident you will be happy with the results.