How to save 40% on your electricity bill with a smart home

💡 Introduction

Were you shocked by your electricity bill last month? You're not alone! Many families in Saudi Arabia see their bills jump by 30-40% in the summer, especially with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius. The good news is that you can save up to 40% on your bill without sacrificing your comfort or that of your family. How? With smart and simple solutions that don't require any technical expertise. In this article, we'll show you exactly where your money goes and how you can control it, step by step.

💰 Where does your money go?

Before we discuss solutions, we need to understand the problem. Studies show that lighting consumes 20-30% of electricity, while air conditioners—the cornerstone of our homes—account for 40-50% of the bill! This means that roughly half of your electricity bill goes toward cooling. The rest is divided between the refrigerator, washing machine, chargers, and other appliances. Knowing these figures tells us that the biggest opportunity to save money lies in smart lighting and air conditioning control. This doesn't mean living in darkness or without air conditioning, but rather using them intelligently and only when needed.

✅ Solution 1: Smart lighting control

Imagine this: How often have you seen lights on in an empty bathroom or hallway? Or forgotten to turn off the lights in the children's room after they've gone to sleep? These things happen every day in every home. This smart solution helps you save money without even thinking about it.

With a smart lighting system, or smart light switches, you can program your home to:

Automatically turn off lights 💡 in areas with no movement. For example, in hallways and bathrooms, the light turns on when you enter and off two minutes after you leave. No need to remember anything. For example, Aqara smart switches withmotion sensors can work together without the need for additional wiring – making them easy to install even in older homes.

Set lights to turn off at a specific time ⏰. For example, all outdoor and garden lights can automatically turn off at midnight. Or, the children's room lights can turn off at 10 PM on study nights. You can set this schedule directly from the Aqara Home or LifeSmart app on your phone, even if you're at work or traveling.

Dim the lights as needed 🌙. Instead of leaving the lights on at 100%, you can dim them to 50% at night or during study time. This is easier on the eyes and reduces energy consumption. Aqara and LifeSmart smart lights can automatically adjust their brightness based on the time of day—for example, full brightness during the day and a soft glow at night—all without you lifting a finger.

The result? This solution alone can save you 6-9% on your total bill. If your bill is 1000 riyals, that's a saving of 60-90 riyals per month just from smart lighting! And the best part is, you don't need a complicated system—one or two smart switches and a hub are enough to get started, and you can add more devices later as needed.

❄️ Solution 2: Smart Air Conditioner Scheduling (Modified Version)

Air conditioners are the biggest drain on your electricity bill, and this is where the biggest saving opportunity lies. The problem is that many people turn on their air conditioners hours before they need them or leave them running in empty rooms. The smart solution gives you complete control without sacrificing comfort:

Turn on your air conditioner just 30 minutes before you arrive 🏠. Instead of leaving it running for 3-4 hours before you get home from work, you can program the system to turn on half an hour before you arrive. The room will be cool when you walk in, saving you hours of wasted energy. Smart control systems like the Aqara Hub or LifeSmart Smart Station with temperature sensors can automate your air conditioner based on your schedule—and even if you forget to set it, the app can send you a reminder.

The air conditioner only operates in occupied rooms 🛏️. With smart sensors, the air conditioner only works in the room where people are present. For example, if everyone is asleep in their bedrooms, the air conditioner in the living room and majlis (formal sitting room) automatically turns off. If you move to the living room, it turns on again. Motion sensors from Aqara or LifeSmart can communicate with the central control system to determine where people are, so the air conditioner cools only the occupied spaces.

Raise the temperature by two degrees while you sleep 😴. Your body doesn't need much cooling while you sleep. If you raise the temperature from 22°C to 24°C from midnight to 6 AM, you'll save a significant amount of energy while sleeping comfortably. You can precisely program this schedule using the Aqara Home or LifeSmart app – for example, raise the temperature by two degrees from 12 AM to 6 AM and maintain it at your preferred level the rest of the time.

Turn any old AC into a smart one 📲. What if your AC is old and doesn't have smart features? No problem. A smart hub with an IR blaster (infrared emitter), such as the Aqara Hub M2 or LifeSmart SPOT, can act as a universal remote control. This hub learns the signals from your AC's original remote, then lets you control the AC from your phone, just like a brand new smart AC. This means you can turn any old AC into a smart one without any complicated installation.

The result? This method can save you an additional 8-15% on your total bill. That's 80-150 riyals extra if your bill is 1000 riyals! The smart idea is to start with one hub (like the Aqara Hub M2 or LifeSmart SPOT mini) and add sensors as needed – each room just needs a temperature or motion sensor, and that's it.

📊 Solution 3: Monitor your consumption

The final piece of the puzzle is figuring out which device is consuming the most electricity. With smart plugs that measure consumption, you can see this directly on the app:

•An old refrigerator consumes twice as much energy as a new one.

•The water heater runs 24/7 for no reason.

•The PlayStation was left on in the children's room.

With this information, you can make smart decisions: schedule your water heater, switch off energy-hungry appliances at specific times, or even replace older appliances that are costing you more than they're worth. Smart plugs from LifSmart or Meross can be plugged into any standard outlet, and you can see exactly how much electricity each appliance is using—even older appliances you never suspected were consuming so much power.

The result? An additional 5-10% saving on your bill. That's 50-100 riyals extra per month! And the best part? Smart plugs are very affordable and don't require complicated installation – just plug them in yourself.

🎯 Summary

When you combine these three solutions – smart lighting, air conditioning scheduling, and consumption monitoring – you can save up to 40% on your monthly bill. Let's break that down into real numbers:

✅ If your bill is 1000 riyals per month, you will save 400 riyals every month.

✅ This means 4800 riyals per year!

✅ And the best part is that the initial investment in smart devices pays for itself in just 6-12 months.

After that, every riyal you save goes straight into your pocket. Not only that, but you'll also feel more at ease because your home starts working for you, so you don't have to remember to turn off the lights or schedule the air conditioning.

🚀 Start your savings journey

Are you interested in getting started? You don't have to do everything at once. You can start with one solution and see the difference:

💡 Do you want to start with lighting? Browse our smart lighting solutions and choose what suits your needs.

📞 Do you have questions or need a consultation? Book a free consultation, and we will help you choose the best setup for your home and budget.