While the surge of people working from home has increased dramatically in the past five years, there are still large chunks of time we are inevitably away from any control over our homes’ energy efficiency.

According to The Good Human, the North American consumer market has been exceptionally slow to utilize energy management solutions in their homes.

“The cost of energy has just been too cheap in North America. This however is changing with the steady rise in energy costs. Homeowners are looking for ever more technological ways to save money on their bills. It’s also forecasted that there will be new regulatory measures taken by federal and local governments to control wasted energy,” says writer Rick Delgado.

Luckily, creating a smart home can be had by the touch of a smartphone. Here are five ways to keep energy prices down, have your coffee at the ready when you wake up, and make sure your home is warm and well lit the next time you pull into the driveway.

Read the whole story at TakePart.