Samsung has announced that it is updating its SmartThings Energy service to help consumers reduce electricity consumption in their homes. The new update will roll out on September 9 in South Korea. It can intelligently notify users to switch off their ACs or turn on their eco modes for lower energy consumption.
The South Korean electronics giant launched SmartThings Energy in May last year. The smart home service monitors the real-time energy consumption of all the appliances and devices that are linked to SmartThings and then analyzes usage patterns to provide smart energy-saving tips and to estimate the power bills. It currently supports eight types of appliances, including ACs, air purifiers, clothes purifiers, dishwashers, dryers, refrigerators, kimchi refrigerators, and washing machines.
SmartThings Energy now offers energy-saving controls for air conditioners and air purifiers. The Energy Saving Service feature, which is a part of SmartThings Energy, can now send a signal to the air conditioner to switch to the energy-saving mode. Samsung has also added the ability to set daily energy consumption limit, and when the limit is reached, the AC is automatically switched to the energy-saving mode.
There's also a new Eco Mode button, and when it is pressed, all the compatible appliances are switched to the economy mode. A new function that comes with the updated SmartThings Energy service suggests users to turn off their appliances when there is no one in the room or home. Samsung's updated service can also compare the energy consumption of a connected device to the monthly average target.
SmartThings is the only smart home service in South Korea that can calculate the energy consumption of household appliances through an app.
Park Chan-Woo, Managing Director of Samsung Electronics' Consumer Electronics Division, said, “The enhanced SmartThings Energy Service provides a variety of solutions that can save substantial energy, not just by monitoring energy usage, but also by contributing to a more comfortable life without worrying about electricity prices during the hot summer months through efficient air conditioning control that takes into account the energy usage of each household.”
