HOUSTON – If you are looking to save money before the year is over, smart technology and services in your home can really pay off in the long run.
Kathryn Emery, home improvement & lifestyle expert, shares 4 simple and cost-effective updates and services you can get this holiday season.
1. Smart water heaters can prevent leaks and help you save money on utility bills
The Rheem Gladiator Smart Electric water heater has leak detection and auto shut-off valve to save you thousands of dollars in water damage. But the best thing is their built-in Wi-Fi technology that allows you to manage hot water usage from your cellphone.
“It’s up in the attic but you know what’s going on. Say you are going on vacation, you don’t need it on. It’s pulling all that electricity. So, you can control it. You can put it in a vacation/away mode to save you money on utility bills,” said Emery.
Available at: The Home Depot
2. A new online service allows you to DIY appliance repairs at home
Say goodbye to waiting around an appliance repair person with Neli. It’s a virtual appliance repair and diagnosis service connecting you to certified technicians via phone video chat or text.
“Whether it’s your washer/dryer brakes, your oven brakes, and they’ll walk you through the process. If you need a new part, you can always go out and get the part. They literally walk you all the way through it,” said Emery, who also mentioned that the average home appliance repair costs are $200, but you can do it with this new service for $35.
Available at: Nelihome.com
3. Smart plugs allow you to control outdoor lighting and holiday lights from your phone
With Vavofo Outdoor Smart Outlet you don’t have to plug or unplug manually any of your holiday lights. It’s voice enable through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and it lets you set schedules and scenes for your holiday lights.
“You can pretty much make anything smart with these plugs. You can plug anything into it and control it from your phone,” said Emery, who also recommends using these plugs for sprinklers, lawn mowers, irrigation systems or landscape lighting.
Available at: Amazon
4. Wi-Fi extenders that will let you stream your favorite shows without buffering.
Wi-Fi extenders are an affordable way to tackle dead spots throughout the house without good internet coverage, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a new router or spend all your cellphone date.
“The nice thing about this one specifically will tell you where to put it. What you want to think about it’s the Wi-Fi router itself. You don’t want to put it right next to it because that defeats the purpose. But you don’t want to put it too far away because it still needs to pull that host Wi-Fi system. This will walk you through it,” said Emery about the Linkys AC1200.
Available at: Walmart
To see Emery’s complete interview, watch the video above.