Conservation - "Automatic Smart Light Timers"

[oregon_phil]

Solutions fall into two camps:

Camp #1: I don't care about internet security. This is the easiest solution to implement but might open up your network/data to the outside world.

Camp #2: I care about internet security. This is harder to implement and might/will take some equipment/knowledge upgrades.

I'm in Camp #2. I run my limited number of smart switches/outlets on a subnet where contact to other subnets or to the internet are blocked on my Ubiquiti router. I can initiate contact to the smart switches from my main network or from the outside world through the built in VPN. I control the smart switches using Home Assistant.

Before I set up my subnets and VPN's, I used mechanical timers to control lights when I was away from home. This is a very easy solution to implement. Getting smart switches might seem like an easy solution, but once you go down that path, you start thinking about other things. Ok I switched on the light remotely, but do I need to know if that really happened? Do I need cameras to verify?

I really don't use a lot of smart switches or outlets. They are just another complication. Standards change, companies go out of business.

[albert436]

When I am out of town I leave three lights burning, all LED bulbs. The internet says that type of household bulb is usually around 10W. I leave them on 24/7 sometimes for several days.

10W x 3bulbs = 30W 30W x 24 = 720Wh per day
720W per day x ~20days/month = 1.440kWh per month
Yikes that seems a lot ! That includes 240Wh of on-peak!

So anyway I did some googling and found some programmable switches that you substitute in for your regular light switch. There's one you program on a small LED screen on the switch, others you can do with your phone and that do not need a "hub", and some you need a hub eg. Alexa etc.

I don't want to deal with a hub so I think I'll try to find out which of the use your phone ones are best.

Does anyone use these, and if so can you let me know how it worked out?

While I think of it, my Malibu low voltage LED garden lights come on at dark and turn off ~10pm. I wonder if I could modify that with one of these things.

Here's one with on-screen programming. Not sure as to the extent of the programming you can do, is it like a sprinkler timer?



Here's one that works with Alexa (I don't have or want Alexa bless her heart).



This next one says no hub required, but says works with Google Assistant and Alexa, so not sure if you just get the app or whatever.


I guess that about wraps up the round-up.

Can anyone make some recommendations on these things? Looking for one where no hub is needed so I can control it from my phone.

Thanks!