3 cutting-edge appliances every home will have in the future

Owning a home can seem like you're fighting an uphill battle sometimes. Just when you finish fixing up the porch steps, a pipe bursts in the basement. Right after you bought those expensive new windows, your kids fling a baseball right through them. You've only got two hands, after all, and you can't be expected to take care of everything all the time.

Fortunately, that's what you have technology for. In the olden days, you had to handwash your clothes and scrub the floors on your hands and knees, but there are more high-tech appliances on the market today than you know what to do with. If you're sick of plugging the holes in the dyke that's keeping your house together, check out these three cutting-edge appliances that every home will have in the future.

The self-sufficient home is a myth - or is it?The self-sufficient home is a myth – or is it?

1. Home batteries
Quite possibly the most futuristic appliance on this list, home batteries are still being tinkered with by researchers. Electric car manufacturer Tesla is leading the charge, though, as the company announced April 30 that it would be releasing the "Powerwall," a consumer-facing in-home battery system capable of powering the average home for several hours per day, Live Science explained.

Based off of the same lithium battery technology used in Tesla's zero-emission automobiles, the Powerwall can store up to 10 kilowatt-hours of energy. The company said that homeowners with solar panels, or those planning to buy them, would be the ideal users for the Powerwall, as the energy gathered by the panels can be stored indefinitely in the batteries. About the size of a large suitcase, it can fit onto a garage or basement wall for low-profile installation, too.

Why will home batteries like the Powerwall be everywhere in the future? Imagine if every time you turned a light on, started the oven, watched TV or did anything else requiring electricity, you didn't have to pay the utility companies. Instead, home batteries create self-sufficient homes.

2. Automatic thermostats
When it comes to saving money on utilities, efficiency is the name of the game. This means only using heat, appliances and other energy-guzzling devices when you need them. If you're home, keeping track of unnecessary energy usage is easy. But what about when you leave for the day?

That's where automatic thermostats come in. First popularized by the Nest Learning Thermostat, these products take the pain out of programming a thermostat. Instead of the tedious process of punching in times and temperatures, these devices learn your habits through casual use. If you turn the heat down when you leave for work in the morning, automatic thermostats remember your preference and will adjust the heat on its own if you forget to. According to Nest, this can save as much as 20 percent on utility bills.

Of course, if you forget to adjust the thermostat, you can always use the integrated smartphone app to do it from wherever.

"Tankless water heaters provide instantaneous hot water to any location in your home."

3. Tankless water heaters
So far, you've learned about appliances that can help your home save on electricity and heating costs, but what about water? In fact, when was the last time you even thought about that old reservoir heater clunking away in your basement? If you can't remember, that's part of the problem.

Instead of models that store and continually heat water to waste your money, tankless water heaters provide instantaneous hot water to any location in your home. They come in a variety of sizes, so whether you need to stick a small one under a sink or a whole-house model to replace your old heater part-and-parcel, tankless water heaters have got you and your home covered.

By continuing to use this website, you agree to our use of cookies. For more information, see our Privacy Statement.

OK