Smart appliances

A smart appliance is one that can be connected to a home network for monitoring and control. GE's smart appliances use Zigbee and add about $50 to $70 to the cost. They make sense in places which have variable utility rates so people can schedule when to do jobs or so utilities can send a signal through a smart meter that critical peak rates are in effect.

The screen on the right shows the dashboard for managing home energy, which can be accessed through a PC or smart phone app.