Samsung releases SmartThings Energy to manage bills, consumption | ZDNet

Samsung unveiled a new tool designed to help people manage the energy they use, debuting SmartThings Energy on Thursday.

The service gives customers a more in-depth look at their Samsung appliances and HVAC systems while also offering a chance to monitor their energy consumption and set targets for usage.

Samsung said the tool would improve the “household energy IQ” of some customers and would help “reduce monthly energy bills and contribute to a lower carbon footprint.” 

SmartThings Energy users will be able to get a granular view of a specific device’s energy consumption and cost on top of aggregated electricity usage data and monthly comparisons. The service will offer tips to reduce energy bills, notifications for when too much energy is being used and alerts “when a device is left on while users are away from the home.”

Chanwoo Park, a vice president at Samsung Electronics, explained that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are spending time at home using appliances and devices, making energy efficiency a major point of interest for those purchasing products. 

“Our consumers want to be part of building a better, more eco-friendly tomorrow, and we are proud to help them achieve that vision by offering a more energy-efficient smart home experience,” Park said. 

“SmartThings Energy, which supports Samsung home appliances and Samsung HVAC products, delivers on this need by offering users a real-time view of actual energy consumption data, analysis and cost estimates, allowing smart home owners to monitor their usage and control costs,” the company said in a statement. 

According to Samsung, SmartThings Energy is different than other real-time energy consumption data services because of how comprehensive it is, particularly with “appliances like air conditioners and home appliances.”

“We hope to build a suite of new advanced features to generate more savings for SmartThings users,” Park said. “By combining the analytical features of SmartThings Energy with Samsung energy-efficient products, we are changing the game for consumers and empowering them to make smarter decisions about their energy consumption.” 

The company lauded its own efforts to promote sustainability through its Galaxy Upcycling Program, power-efficient semiconductor chips, sustainable packaging, energy-saving technology and more. 

But Samsung faced backlash in June from Greenpeace for only sourcing about 18% of its global energy use from renewables. Greenpeace’s Hyunsook Lee of Greenpeace praised Samsung for demonstrating that it could “achieve 100 percent renewable energy in a short period in the US, Europe, and China” but said it was “essential” to do the same in South Korea and Vietnam “which are vulnerable to climate crisis.”