Between October 2021 and September 2022, a typical Italian family spent 91% more on electricity bills than in the 12 months preceding this period of time. The cost of gas, in the same reference period, increased by 70.7%. The data collected by Arera, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment, distorts the mission of the technology we have at home. Smart devices and appliances, designed to improve our lives, now also have to save us money.
The best home appliances and gadgets of 2022
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Their energy class must be taken into account – ranging from minimum consumption marked with A+++ to more expensive ones marked with G – but then it is the functions that make the difference. The Google Nest thermostat, for example, learns from our habits and understands how quickly the house heats up. So the radiators turn on only when needed and above all at the right time. Google claims that over the past decade, Nest thermostats have helped people save more than 80 billion kWh of energy at home, enough to power 23 million electric cars for a year. But there is not only the Nest: Netatmo and Tado also produce smart thermostats that have a positive effect on bills. In short, artificial intelligence is not called only to anticipate our wishes, to offer clean air, to capture dust from the floor more efficiently.
Efficiency, in the current times, is maximum if it is also energy efficient.
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The washing machine, which notoriously consumes a lot, cannot be considered smart just for the richness of the programmes. Samsung, for example, in 2022 has staked everything on the Bespoke AI model which promises (data provided by the company) to reduce energy consumption by 70% while maintaining the same level of cleanliness of the garments, even in cold water. That said, we too have to be smart. Perhaps by avoiding using the dryer when clothes can be dried outdoors, or by using the ‘ironing’ program more, which lasts and consumes less. And then, perhaps, we can improve the routines that we entrust to virtual assistants, or multiply the smart sockets at home.
Ultimately, it’s a matter of attitude. We can fall in love with Twinkly lights and turn them into the lighthouse of our lives. But we can do it wisely, by setting a timer and perhaps adjusting the intensity from the app. Not only will your wallet thank us but also the environment.
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