Skip to main content
Home
  • About Us
    • Annual Report
  • Powering the Future
    • Our Energy Mix
  • Electrify and Save®
    • On-Bill Repayment
    • Programs
    • Quality Install
  • Media
    • Resources
    • Blog
    • Features
    • News
    • Newsletter
    • Podcast
  • Cooperative Benefits
  • Operations
  • Search
Menu

Search form

Smart homes with Aelxa

10/29/2020

The Future is (Mostly) Now for Smart Homes

The longtime promises of a “smart home” are now being fulfilled by AI (artificial intelligence) home assistants like Alexa, Siri or Google Home, though not quite the way it was imagined in the futuristic 1960s cartoon, The Jetsons.

Connected electronic devices playing various roles around your house can indeed make life more convenient and comfortable, as long as you put some thought into which parts of your life truly need to be modernized in this way. 

Why your refrigerator should talk to your toaster, for example, is a question that smart devices haven’t been able to answer yet. Just because every object can be connected these days through electricity and wi-fi does not mean they need to be. 

But a lot of devices are proving their worth every day, through convenience, efficiency, and an unseen but important impact on climate change through clean energy.

What a Smart Home Can Do

Smart thermostats, for example, learn your home habits and adjust accordingly. You can also access them through your cell phone. Think how that translates to energy savings: Instead of heating your whole house while you’re away for work or vacation, you can wait until you’re driving home from the airport to push the temperature into your comfort zone. 

Internet-enabled home security cameras have also proven their worth and popularity. As winter darkness descends, users can scan their front doors for safety before they leave their car. Workers can check in at home on an ailing pet or even make sure their kids are focused on schoolwork. With packages arriving more frequently during the pandemic, a doorbell camera keeps you up to date on deliveries and may keep porch pirates at bay. 
 

technology that integrates with Alexa

Smart Home and Energy Efficiency

Your home comfort and energy efficiency can also be transformed through other appliances that are a growing part of the “electrification” movement. As electrical generation moves more and more toward clean, renewable sources like wind, hydro and solar power, changing key appliances from propane or natural gas to electricity is a powerful way to make your home “smart.” 

Air source heat pumps enable you to transfer the existing heat in the outside air into your home, using cleaner energy more efficiently than natural gas heaters that burn fuel all day to keep your home comfortable. Advances in heat pump technology even let you control the heat in individual rooms, increasing your comfort while operating efficiently even when the outside temperatures are below freezing! Induction stoves use magnetic energy for fast, efficient cooking. 

Your garage is another home place where electrification can have a major impact on both personal enjoyment and climate change.

Going electric with your vehicle is one of the most impactful decisions you can make for the environment, and consumer reviews increasingly rave about the quality and performance of battery-powered cars.

How to Set Up a Smart Home

Joining the trend can be as simple as purchasing an Alexa or similar device, plugging into your existing wall outlets, or as innovative as investing in an electric vehicle charger for your garage. 

Of course, when you start exploring the smart home, you’ll be offered all kinds of other gadgets.

Special bulbs can now be connected online, allowing you to control them for security when you’re away, or for comfort from the couch when you’re at home. 

And the “smart refrigerator?” The promise is that these devices can automatically read the bar codes or RFID signals from the food items in the fridge and send a signal to your phone telling you when to re-order or throw expired things out. Yes, it would be great to never drink sour milk again. On the other hand, do you really want your ice cream consumption shared on the internet? 

Taken together, these ideas for the increasingly electrified smart home are proving that the home of the future is already here, even if it doesn’t look exactly like any Jetsons episode.

Exploring which things you’re going to adopt and which things can wait is one of those tasks you can perform from your comfortably-heated, perfectly-lit couch. 

Smart homes of the future

 

--

About Tri-State

Tri-State is a power supply cooperative, operating on a not-for-profit basis, serving electric distribution cooperatives and public power district member-owners in four states. Together with our members, we deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to more than a million electricity consumers across nearly 200,000 square miles of the West. Visit www.tristate.coop.    

 

Contributor:

Matt Fitzgibbon, Beneficial Electrification Manager

Post Tags
Electrify and Save™

Blog Posts

Beat the Chill: Effective Insulation Strategies for Winter Comfort

Beat the Chill: Effective Insulation Strategies for Winter Comfort

For those living in older homes, it's common to experience uncomfortable drafts, chilly winters, and higher utility bills compared to newer homes. But here's the good news: improving your home's insulation can help you stay warmer in winter, cooler in summer, and save money in the long run.  Here are some effective insulation strategies for a more comfortable and energy-efficient winter. 
Read more >
Energy Efficient Heating Options for Rural Communities

Energy Efficient Heating Options for Rural Communities in the West

As winter approaches, rural communities in the West face the on-going challenge of keeping their homes warm while managing energy costs. With big temperature swings, it's helpful for families to explore energy-efficient heating options that suit this unique climate. Here’s our favorite tips to get the most out of your current heating system
Peter Rusin, Member Relations Manager
Read more >
Energy Efficient Tips for Outdoor Fall Entertaining

Energy Efficient Tips for Outdoor Fall Entertaining

Summer may get more attention when it comes to outdoor get-togethers but with an autumn party, you can trade the mosquitoes, thunderstorms, and hot nights for crisp evenings and changing leaves. The cooling temperatures also mean a chance to optimize your energy use, reduce your bill and save some money heading into winter.
Peter Rusin, Member Relations Manager
Read more >
How to boost your business with EV charging, attract new clients, increase your sustainability efforts and add a new revenue stream.

Boost Your Business with EV Charging

A lack of EV chargers presents a problem for drivers but an opportunity for local business owners. If you're a business owner, here’s how you can boost your business with EV charging to attract new clients, increase your sustainability efforts and add a new revenue stream.
Mike Frailey, Relationship Manager 
Read more >
Benefits of Having Your Own EV Charger at Home

The Benefits of Having Your Own EV Charger at Home

One of the most recognizable shifts is the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). As the world embraces EVs, the need for accessible charging infrastructure has grown exponentially. While public charging stations are expanding, there's something uniquely advantageous about having your own EV charger at home. 
Mike Frailey, Relationship Manager 
Read more >
Geothermal Heat Pumps: Harnessing Earth's Energy for Your Business 

Geothermal Heat Pumps: Harnessing Earth's Energy for Your Business 

With April being National Geothermal Month, it’s a perfect time to delve into the process of installing GHPs, their benefits, what climates are the most suitable and how businesses can take advantage of rebates to offset costs while contributing to a greener future. 
Peter Rusin, Member Relations Manager
Read more >
Mastering Energy Efficiency With These Home Upgrades 

Mastering Energy Efficiency With These Home Upgrades 

Power management matters to two kinds of people: those who pay utility bills and environmentally conscious individuals. If you fall into one, or hopefully both, of those categories, here are a few tips for mastering energy efficiency with some home upgrades.  
Peter Rusin, Member Relations Manager
Read more >
Winter Comfort Tips: Transform Your Home into an Energy-Efficient Oasis

Winter Comfort Tips: Transform Your Home into an Energy-Efficient Oasis

There’s nothing better than enjoying creature comforts during the winter chill. Staying warm is a big part of that, but it comes at a price if your home isn't optimized for cold weather. This winter, consider some smart ways to conserve energy, save money, and transform your home into an energy-efficient oasis with these helpful tips
Peter Rusin, Member Relations Manager
Read more >
Winter Destinations in Colorado Promoting Energy Efficiency

5 Winter Destinations in Colorado Promoting Energy Efficiency

These five mountain towns in Colorado not only offer thrilling winter adventures but also take a pioneering stance in energy efficiency.
Read more >

Pagination

  • Currently on page   1
  • Page   2
  • Page   3
  • Page   4
  • Page   5
  • Page   6
  • Page   7
  • Page   8
  • Page   9
  • …
  • Next pageNext ›
  • Last pageLast »

Subscribe

* indicates required
Join our mailing list for
updates and member news.
 
 

Quick links

  • Leadership Team
  • Dark Fiber
  • Financials
  • Board Meetings
  • Member Tools
  • Corporate Responsibility Report
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Careers
  • Employee login

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
Office: 303-452-6111
1100 West 116th Avenue
Westminster, CO 80234

Mailing address:
PO Box 33695
Denver, CO 80233-0695

©2025 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. Power supplier to the rural west.

  • About Us
    • Annual Report
  • Powering the Future
    • Our Energy Mix
  • Electrify and Save®
    • On-Bill Repayment
    • Programs
    • Quality Install
  • Media
    • Resources
    • Blog
    • Features
    • News
    • Newsletter
    • Podcast
  • Cooperative Benefits
  • Operations
  • Search