We have implemented a series of new upgrades for our customers:

1. Optional Registration! It is now your choice; checkout without having to register, or save your information for a super-fast checkout process and the ability to check order status.
2. Paypal Accepted! Shop and pay conveniently by saving your information with PayPal, then checking out of our store with one simple click of the “Checkout with Paypal” button.
3. New Clearance Section! Now more than ever, our clearance section is your home for amazing deals on open box, discontinued, and even “returned flawless” products! Click here to see our new Clearance Section, now powered by eBay.

Tell us what you think of these upgrades by commenting on this post. Feel free to suggest further upgrades, as well!

Advances in modern science, as well as an increased awareness of healthy living, mean that people today are living longer and remaining active into their 70s and beyond. Many elderly people continue to live alone after their spouse has passed on and can remain independent for many years. Often though, the elderly go through a transitional stage while living alone when constant care is not yet necessary, but the chance of something happening to them, like a fall, is increasingly possible as they age.

Falls are the leading cause of injury in persons over the age of 65. A fall could be an indicator of an illness yet undetected, but a full one third of all falls in the home are simply the result of environmental hazards. Irregular floor surfaces, poor lighting and clutter should all be checked and improved to reduce risk. A complete medical evaluation should be given to the person after a fall to check for underlying health conditions that may have caused it. A significant number of those who fall will spend over an hour on the floor before help arrives, and this time is crucial – within 30 to 60 minutes, compression causes the muscle cells to start breaking down. The risk of hypothermia, dehydration and pneumonia all increase the longer a person is left unattended.

Fortunately, there are many devices on the market that can make living alone safer for those in the period between when they start to lose the mobility they once had, but are not yet in need of full-time care. One of the most versatile devices is the Skylink Remote Alert System. In the event of a fall or seizure, pressing the large panic button, worn on the wrist with a comfortable band, will activate the small base unit located in the house. This unit will immediately dial the pre-programmed telephone numbers of relatives, neighbors, and/or friends. When the phone call is received, a pre-programmed voice message up to 40 seconds long will be played, indicating the need for help. The wrist watch panic remote is also water-resistant, so if the emergency occurs while bathing, a call for help can still be made.

Another great product is the X10 PRO Personal Assistance Voice Dialer. This item includes a pendant that can be worn around the neck. When an emergency occurs, pushing the button on the pendant triggers the base unit to sound an alarm and call up to four pre-programmed numbers. The person who answers the call can dial “0” to communicate with the fallen person. The base unit can be connected to other X10 Pro controlled lights, so when the pendant button is pressed, the lights will flash, alerting passers-by that something is wrong.

The challenge in using any product like those described above is making sure the user wears the remote unit all the time. Insist that your loved one wears the remote unit, and verify that they’re wearing it regularly until you’re sure it has become second-nature for them to have it on. Aside from doing the obvious to prevent falls, using a remote alert system can mean the difference between life and death for those who have fallen.

If your idea of conserving energy is lying very, very still on the couch for long periods of time, I hear you. But as the prices of pretty much everything in our lives keep going up (and our salaries don’t), it pays to think about conserving energy in the home, too. Here are 7 easy ways to use, and thus pay for, less energy.

1. Air-dry your clothing in a sun-lit room

Heaters use the most amount of electricity out of any appliance. Your clothes drier houses one of the most powerful heaters in your home (second only to your HVAC system). Why continue to pay for all that energy? Just hang your clothing in a sun-lit room and let the sun do it’s work, for free!

2. Take shorter showers

Studies show that the average teenager spends a whopping 45 minutes in the shower. 45 minutes! Encourage your kids to cut down on their American Idol practice time, and remind your husband that men who shave in the shower are wasting water, too, to the tune of several gallons. Bottom line: If you’re not
actively sudsing or rinsing, turn the water off!

3. Unplug your TV and other unused appliances

It’s probably not news to any of you at this point that all plugged-in electronics constantly suck energy even when they’re “turned off.” But recently, the triple threat of flat screen TVs, cable boxes, and DVR devices have officially overtaken refrigerators as the biggest energy drain in American homes. And, while the fridge at least has an excuse for being plugged in all the time, the TV does not. Plug all those devices into a Smart Strip and it will automatically “unplug” everything for you when you’re not watching.

4. Consider replacing older refrigerators

The good news: every year refrigerators are getting more energy efficient, and it’s hard NOT to buy one with an Energy Star rating these days. The downside is that many people, upon upgrading to a better refrigerator, just move the old one to the garage and keep using it. But consider this: There’s a reason you replaced the old one—it was too small, it didn’t work well, it was inefficient—so why would you keep it around? Think long and hard about what exactly you so desperately need to keep in deep-freeze storage. Extra ice for
parties? Buy an ice chest. That 40 pounds of moose meat you ordered online from your meat-of-the-month club? I have no advice for you, other than reevaluate what’s in your main freezer and check out Energy Star’s Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign web site for information on responsible old-fridge disposal.

5. Really turn off your home computer

75% of the energy used by home computers is used when the owner thinks the computer is turned off. “Sleep” does not equal off. Also consider reading about the Smart Strip, which will automatically turn off your computer peripherals whenever the PC is off (works for TV entertainment centers, too). Easy as pie!

6. Weather-strip your doors

It’s important to have a well sealed house in every season. If you want to keep your heat inside the house this year, make sure that your home’s doors have the proper seals. (Bonus: weather stripping is incredibly cheap—we’re talking $1.50 a roll—and as easy to apply as a piece of tape.) And of course, make sure all your windows are closed when the heat is on. What are you trying to do, heat the whole neighborhood?

7. Get your water heater checked and adjusted

Schedule an appointment with your plumber (or ask him to stick around the next time he comes to fix something else) and have him check the settings on your water heater. Although many water heaters are set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, most homes only need 120 degrees for appliances like dishwashers to function properly. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that lowering your water temperature by ten degrees will save you 3 to 5% in energy costs (not to mention lower your risk of scalding). Free Money is the best kind!

In 1978 a group of engineers from the UK was working for a US company to develop a method for homeowners to change records on a record player from any room in the house. Their objective was to use plug-in products that would enable a homeowner to send a control signal from any room in the house over the home’s existing electrical power lines to change records.

A few years later, on their tenth experimental approach, they succeeded, and the company was named X10. Their efforts led the way to an affordable method of controlling electrical appliances, computer equipment, security systems, heating and air conditioning and lighting in the home. Prior to the X10 development, only homeowners with unlimited resources could afford to have professionals install proprietary wiring and products to automate the operation of their home systems. We consider the release of inexpensive DIY X10 products the birth of do-it-yourself home automation.

Today, home energy management has eclipsed all other comfort and convenience reasons for automating a home. The term “Smart Home” now signifies one that implements home automation technologies to increase energy efficiency, reduce its carbon footprint, and lessen the environmental impact created by the individuals living in that home. Fortunately there are currently many manufacturers developing and producing DIY products that allow homeowners to manage their home systems with preprogrammed time schedules and events which help conserve energy and save money. And SmartHomeUSA has everything you’ll need to take advantage of these savings.

SmartHomeUSA takes environmental responsibility very seriously and we are pleased that we, along with our partners in the solar energy and green building products field, are in a position to help homeowners do their part to reduce the world’s use of fossil fuels. SmartHomeUSA’s extensive range of home automation and energy management products, together with our free technical support, offer home owners the tools necessary to create their own Smart Home. A Smart Home uses far less energy than a regular house, and the money saved on energy bills more than pays for the products used to create your energy-smart home. And by turning your house into a Smart Home, you’ll also be helping to create a sustainable environment for the future.

Every day we get requests from people new to home automation wanting to know where the best place is to start in the fun and exciting process of making their home smarter. Every part of your home can be automated to save energy… appliances, lighting, and larger systems like water heating, furnaces, air conditioners, irrigation and security systems. For example, you can trigger parts of your home automation system to operate according to a timed schedule you create. Your heating system can be programmed to be turned down during the day when you’re not there to save energy. According to the US Department of Energy, you can save about $180 per year by using and properly setting a programmable thermostat. Lighting can be scheduled to turn on automatically at 6 p.m. when you arrive home from work. Systems can even be programmed and monitored remotely via the internet, mobile phone and PDA in case you need to make a change to the schedule. Even very simple changes, like installing an occupancy sensor in your bathroom, can save money. The EPA notes that a room’s electricity consumption can be reduced up to 90% with an occupancy sensor. We find that most people see the money they are going to save on monthly energy bills just an added bonus to the bigger reward of being able to do their part to slow global warming.

Since 1995, SmartHomeUSA has been committed to helping homeowners create the most convenient, safe and energy efficient home new technology can deliver. Using our DIY home automation products and our free technical support services, you can create your own Smart Home right now. If you need assistance, SmartHomeUSA will be happy to guide you through the installation process. When you are ready for a more advanced whole house home control system, our expert technicians are here to help you choose a systems that fits your needs and budget.

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