With Christmas right around the corner, it’s not too late for some last-minute decorations or a few tips to keep your home secure while away on a fun-filled holiday vacation. And with nifty Internet of Things (IoT) products, like smart plugs and motion sensors, you don’t even need to worry about absurdly high electric bills. Check out these tricks from home automation experts.

Use Wi-Fi Smart Plugs

D-Link Corporation recently gave away to lucky contest winners Wi-Fi Smart Plugs (DSP-W215), which help automate lights and decorations and offer the ability to keep an eye on energy usage over the holidays.

And if you plan to travel during the holidays, D-Link suggests keeping your vacation time to yourself; you don’t need to announce to the whole neighborhood that no one will be at home for a few days. Using a Wi-Fi Smart Plug can also help you keep home invaders at bay by making it look like someone is at home when they’re not. The Wi-Fi Smart Plug allows you to control anything plugged into it via a smartphone or tablet, a convenient way to turn lights and decorations on or off while on vacation or stuck at the mall doing some last-minute shopping.

“While the holiday season is filled with magical moments for the little ones and plenty of good cheer, it also marks a time of year for increased crime and burglaries, leaving unattended homes vulnerable,” said Daniel Kelley, vice president of marketing, D-Link Systems, Inc. “Whether you’re planning holiday travel or are headed to the mall for holiday shopping, there are several ways to ‘tech the halls’ this season in order to keep your home protected and safe while you’re away.”

Hook Up Motion Sensors

What’s the sense of putting up fancy decorations if no one’s there to see them, right? But leaving lights and animated decorations on can be such a huge waste of money, so Control4 Corp. suggests using motion sensors with your decorations.

Motion sensors are like trip wires; they only get activated when someone’s there. By using motion sensors with your holiday displays, you can lower the cost of your electricity bill as it will only light up or move when someone’s there to appreciate the display.

Coordinate Electronics

Gabriel Industries, Inc., an electrical controls, machine automation and commercial fire alarm systems company, suggests coordinating your entertainment electronics, including your television, MP3 player, computer, smartphone or tablet, during a holiday party. This allows you to stream the same music in every room available for the party utilizing the various electronics available for each room.

This way, you can play endless Christmas songs or the latest popular tunes from your favorite artist that you want to share with your guests so there will be no dull moments.

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