Page 13 - Dainfern Precinct issue 3 2022

HOME FRONT

YOU CAN SAVE MONEY

WITH A SMART HOME

he cost of living in South Africa for example, would use 27% to 30% of says that these are just a few ways that
is skyrocketing. With this my total consumption in the summer. smart devices can save homeowners
in mind, it is vital for South But in the winter, this could go up to money and improve their energy
TAfricans to save money where 45%. With a smart controller, you can consumption.
they can and become more energy heat water as and when you need it,
efficient, to minimise the depletion of whether you are at home or not.” In support of this drive to reduce
their finances. There's no better place to household expenses, in 2021, the brand
do this, than in the home. Translating this consumption to cost savings, launched its smart IoT (internet-
Fritz explains that when the geyser’s of-things) home automation range,
Putting forward the case for investing thermostat is not switched off, it could use called the Astute Range. It is a range
in smart devices, engineering executive around 72kWh/day. “This could cost around of energy monitoring, scheduling and
at CBI-electric: low voltage, Dr Andrew R179.99 per day and roughly R5 399.70 for control devices with load management
Dickson explains, “Smart home devices 30 days. If you are able to monitor, schedule and automation capabilities. The
were developed to make people’s lives and control the thermostat, you can CBI Home App enables the user to
easier by allowing them to automate easily bring this cost down.” configure these devices to react to
various processes in the home via an current, voltage, time, power and
app. But these devices can also be Ignatius Kitching, Director at Khanyile many other variables. All that’s
used to reduce energy bills and help Kitching Electrical, agrees that smart required is 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with an
homeowners become more energy devices can help users save a great deal internet connection and a smartphone
efficient. For example, geysers, pool every month. “By putting the control or tablet.
pumps and heating use enormous in their hands, they have the power to
amounts of energy if they are on for drive their consumption and can actually “With the cost of living set to increase
long periods of time. With smart devices see which appliances are adding the throughout the year, now is the time for
such as smart plugs, controllers and most to their monthly bill.” South Africans to put the power in their
isolators, users can monitor and control hands and save in areas that they can
these appliances as well as schedule Commenting on these points, Dr Dickson control,” Dr Dickson concludes.
them to turn on and off at specific times
and on particular days.”

“Smart devices also allow people to
schedule activities such as watering the
garden with an irrigation system, which
can be automated to operate at selected
times. If the app is integrated with
weather services and it detects a rainy
day, the system will not switch on. This
not only saves electricity, but water too,
which can lower the total municipal bill.”

Here are two testimonials from people
who are using smart devices to minimise
costs:
Daniel Fritz, technician at PEC Utility
Management in Cape Town, says he
mostly runs his house off the grid. “I
use a smart controller to connect and
disconnect from the grid as well as to
monitor equipment and switch it on or
off when I am away from home. I have
also connected my freezer to a smart
plug which turns on during the day. In
the evening, it then switches off and
the freezer runs off batteries which are
charged via solar power.”

He believes that if you can measure
something, you can manage it. “When
it comes to energy efficiency, my geyser,

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