If you think that all thermostats are created equal, think again. With a Nest thermostat, you can easily set different temperature programs, and your thermostat will learn your heating and cooling habits to make energy-saving adjustments. You can also set your thermostat remotely if necessary, and you’ll get alerts of issues that could lead to problems, such as temperatures low enough to warrant concern. Plus, you can get updates on energy usage via reports, information which can help you to tweak your habits in order to further boost energy savings.

Fires and CO exposure are among the biggest dangers to homeowners today. Not only does the Nest Protect CO + Smoke detector last up to a decade and feature and industrial grade smoke detector, but it also tests itself automatically. You can hush it from your phone, should you have a false alarm, and you can also receive alerts via your phone. If you are serious about keeping yourself and your family safe, this is a product well-worth your consideration.

Modern life is hectic, and you may be away from your home more than you’d like. Don’t worry about what your pooch is getting up to or about packages sitting out all day any longer, though. Get a Nest Cam, and keep an eye on your home with a 24-7 feed. Set yourself up for alerts as well, for added peace of mind.

Whether you have a spacious and expansive wraparound porch or a cozy stoop to welcome you inside, the front porch is the perfect place to establish a mood that flows throughout the home. Today I’ve rounded up a unique collection of front porch decorating ideas that celebrate the beauty of Spring with bright colors and endless charm.

Springtime is all about freshness and a world ablaze with color. This bright DIY welcome mat filters out both the dirt and the troubles of your day.

I’m a big fan of coming up with Etsy.)

Unique ways to display a bounty of your Spring flowers abound in these fresh front porch planter ideas that are anything but predictable.

via submersible LED tape lights to your water feature.

As you welcome your friends and family into your home this year, there are many ways to welcome Spring too. Small touches and pops of color are simple ways to turn your front porch into a bright and cheerful space to invite guests into the home.

The energy consumed by a single building or business can prove to be a huge overhead cost, especially for those buildings of a much larger size.

Starting the initiative to reduce energy consumption is becoming more and more common as the benefits become more and more clear. The benefits of reducing energy consumption is often times for one major reason, and that is to reduce overhead costs. By making switches (such as those listed here), you could realize a 50% or more reduction in overall energy usage in your facility.

Sound interesting? Learn how you can do that with the tips below…

Whatever lighting technology you have right now, if it isn’t LED, then you are probably consuming more energy than you have to be when it comes to your lighting system.

By converting to LED from a technology like fluorescent, you will easily realize a 30% reduction (on average) in energy consumption from your lights. Now, if you have lights such as metal halide or HPS (often used outside or in high ceiling lights), then you could realize even greater savings (by up to 75%)! This, in and of itself, can prove to be a major way to reduce energy usage in your buildings.

facility manager is, but it’s just a fact. Think, who knows more; someone who works with all the equipment everyday or someone who overlooks said worker? Probably the former, and that’s okay! But, just remember to ask them to be on the lookout for things and get them on-board with your efforts to reducing energy in your building. It will help a lot with your efforts!

Planting save energy in your building, but they are definitely the huge players that eat up a lot of energy. By changing just these 9 things, you will be able to put your efforts to the highest reward type initiatives.

Once you’ve switched these major energy consumers, you can then work on smaller areas of your building that are inefficient, just not as much as these 9 things.

What is one thing not listed here that you find to be a huge energy consumer? Comment it down below so we are all aware of it!