Five Technology Choices to Save Money Around the House

Oh summer - a time of vacation, spending time in the backyard by the bbq and trying to avoid paying too much money to keep the house cool every night.

So when we spend money on the latest smartphone or add a tablet or blu-ray player to the arsenal of home electronics, we get excited about what we can now do.

But what about the house? Doesn't the house deserve some TLC and a technology tune-up?

No matter if the house is a vintage model or a newbuild, there are five choices that can help save money and make the home tech-savvy efficient.

Five changes to make now and start saving money:

1. Thermostat - check out the latest available in smart thermostats, a small change in the house that can make a huge difference in adjusting the HVAC of the house to suit your needs, and keep the bills low.

2. Smart appliances - know the Energy Star rating for all appliances - whether it's the washing machine, dryer, stove or fridge, or the tabletop favourites such as the coffee maker, toaster oven or the food processor. Having efficient appliances is better for the wallet.

3. Power adapters - did you know the average household of consumer electronics can add almost $200 per year to the power bill for charging up those items? Eco-friendly and efficiency-focused consumers should look for the green plug, which powers an item only as much as it needs and then shuts off.

4. Home automated lighting systems - the household is already LED-positive, so take it to the next level with a system that makes it easy to program lights when you're not at home, whether it's to ensure safety or to make sure the kids switch off the basement lights.

5. Embrace the eco-life: making environmentally-savvy choices, whether it's buying locally-sourced food or purchasing home products that are labelled green, all of this adds up to help save money in both the short and long term.