Smart home devices offer a convenient way to control lights, thermostats, and other gadgets from a mobile device, but Apple’s Shortcuts app can also help optimize energy usage to keep costs down during the electricity-hungry summer months. We have a full rundown on how to create and run an Apple Shortcut, but let’s walk through some ideas for automating your smart devices and hopefully lowering your electric bill.Add Smart Devices to the Home AppYour smart device may have its own means to connect to your iPhone, but you can also add items through Apple’s Home app. Tap the plus (+) icon in the top-right corner and choose Add Accessory. You can then scan a QR code on the smart device that needs to be connected.
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Once set up, many of the device’s functions can be controlled right from the Home app. Even better, you can also set up automations on your iPhone for each device, so that they perform certain functions on their own. Let’s get into how to set up automations with a smart device.Set Up Automations In the Shortcuts AppApple Shortcuts app allows you to set up two types of processes—shortcuts and automations. A shortcut is a quick way to perform a task on your phone. In conjunction with the Home app, you can create a shortcut to do something simple, such as pausing Apple TV by tapping an icon instead of opening the remote app, connecting to the TV, and hitting pause.An automation is a bit more complicated. These can be triggered based on environmental factors, such as time of day, motion sensors, temperature, location, and more. Utilizing automations in the Shortcuts app allows you to turn on the thermostat when you come home, turn it off overnight, and set it to turn on again when it reaches a certain temperature.
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To get an idea of how this works, we’ll set up a simple automation that automatically turns a smart TV off at 2 a.m. every morning. Once the TV is connected to Wi-Fi and added to the Home app, tap Automations. (Tap New Automation if you’ve never made one before, or the plus (+) icon in the top-right corner.)Next, choose the event that causes the automation to run. Options include time of day, when you arrive at certain locations, and when your phone reaches a certain battery percentage. For our purposes, select Time of Day. Set the time to 2:00 AM and choose the days you want this automation to run. Tap Run Immediately so it runs on its own without needing confirmation in the middle of the night.
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Choose Next > New Blank Automation and hit the search bar. Go to the Apps tab, tap the Home app, and pick Control My Home. Tap Scenes and Accessories, then select your TV. Tap Next, and make sure the accessory is set to Turn Off, and tap Done. Tap Done again, and the automation is saved. It will now run automatically at 2 a.m.
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To change something about an automation, tap on its icon in the Automation tab to make the edits. Or turn it off by going to Automation > Don’t run. The automation will stay disabled until you turn it on again.
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Ways to Save Money With AutomationsThese kinds of automations can help save money by controlling when devices in your home turn on and off. Here are some ideas for how to use the Shortcuts app to create money-saving automations with your smart devices.
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Thermostat Automations
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Create an automation to lower the thermostat temperature when leaving home in cooler months and increase the temperature when leaving home during warmer months. You can then have another automation to raise or lower the temperature before your anticipated return. This way your home will still be at the perfect temperature, but the heat or A/C won’t be running all full blast the whole time you’re gone. HomeKit-compatible products include the Ecobee SmartThermostat, Honeywell Home Smart Thermostat, and Sensi Touch.Smart Light AutomationsYou can set up an automation that turns off all the smart lights in the house when you leave and another one that turns them back on when you return. The same can be done when you’re sleeping, too. Set up an automation that automatically turns off the lights after a certain time, or a shortcut that turns everything off when you say a certain phrase to Siri, like “Goodnight.” HomeKit-compatible products include Philips Hue, LIFX Color A19, Nanoleaf Essentials A19 Bulb, Sylvania Smart+ Full Color, and Meross Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb.Smart AC and Heater AutomationsCreate an automation that activates an AC unit when room temperature exceeds a preset threshold, or heaters when room temperature falls below a preset threshold. Create an automation that turns fans or heaters on or off depending if you’re at home or away. HomeKit-compatible products include Hunter Ceiling Fans.Smart Plug AutomationsLacking in smart home devices? A smart plug can be used with any electronic device, so be creative with how you want to save energy. For example, a window unit AC that is connected to a smart plug can be controlled from a phone. You can set up an automation to turn it on or off overnight or when you leave or return home. HomeKit-compatible products include Wemo, Kasa, Meross, and Eve.
How to set up an automation in Google Home
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About Clay Halton
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I’ve written for various publications, such as Gay Cities and Queerty, covering beats that range from video games to travel. I also cover finance, with an emphasis on queer topics.
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