I installed smart lights in my living room last month and my electric bill went up more than I expected. Is it normal for them to use so much electricity even when they're turned off? Is there a way to reduce consumption or do I need to switch to a different type of lights?
I have smart lights at home and my bill barely budged, so something weird is going on with yours. The standby consumption on these things is minimal (we're talking milliwatts), but if your bill actually went up, you're probably using the lights way more than you think, or you've got a problem with your router or another device in the system that's eating up power. Before you change anything, check how many hours a day you actually have them on and make sure your hub or system control unit is set up right, because sometimes those gadgets just keep running nonstop.
The standby consumption of smart lights is basically nothing, so if your bill went up a lot, it's most likely that you have them on longer than you think or that the wiring in your house is drawing something extra. One thing a lot of people don't try is checking the wattage of the bulbs you bought: if you put in high-power LEDs or mixed different types, the consumption shoots up. My advice is to go into the lights app and check how many hours a day they're actually on (most apps show you this), and then turn off any automation you don't need; that actually does cut your bill without having to change any hardware.
Here's what probably nobody's told you: the problem almost certainly isn't the bulbs themselves, but what's behind them. Those smart lights have a hub or connection bridge (the gadget that controls everything via WiFi), and that thing is plugged in 24/7 constantly drawing power. Sure, we're talking small amounts, but if you multiply that by days and weeks, and you've got other devices like that plugged in too, it adds up. I've seen houses where people install smart lights, smart plugs, thermostats, all at once, and then they're shocked when the bill jumps 15-20% for no apparent reason.
What I'd do is take a close look at what's plugged in all the time and whether you actually need it. The hub is necessary for the system to work, fair enough, but some models consume more than others. If your router's already active all day anyway, at least that's not adding to it. Where you can actually save is on smart plugs if you've got several connected: unplug the ones you're not using, or use power strips with a button to turn off whole groups when you don't need them.
The most practical trick I'd suggest is doing a silly experiment but it works: for a week, physically turn off your lights hub (unplug it), write down the consumption, and compare it with the weeks before. If you see a clear difference, you know where the problem is. That way you can rule out in one go whether it's the smart device or something weird going on with your electrical setup.
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