No, smart bulbs do not use a lot of WiFi.
They only use roughly 20 MB to 30 MB of data in a month.
The truth is that these bulbs use so little data that they barely make a dent in your data plan.
The data they use is also too small to cause a problem with your bandwidth, speed, and traffic.
Do you leave smart bulbs on all the time?
It depends. The decision is yours to make.
All appliances left on will consume power, and you do not like that.
The thing is that you may want to leave your bulbs on all the time.
If you turn it off, you can no longer connect with it through your mobile device or Bluetooth.
Lightbulbs must be left on from the main switch.
There is a way for you to turn off the bulbs from your phone. That way, the blub will not consume a lot of power.
If you turn it off from the main switch, the bulb’s connection with your router gets interrupted.
Once you turn it on again, it will take some time for it to connect with the router, and it will not turn on its light unless you commanded it to do so.
Do smart bulbs run up the electric bill?
No, they do not. Smart bulbs only average a few cents per month if they are on standby mode.
These bulbs do not run up the electric bill, contrary to what people say.
The fact is that old incandescent bulbs are costlier.
The problem with traditional incandescent bulbs is that you are losing more than 90% of the energy that it uses.
This 90% of energy gets released as heat radiation.
LED bulbs are also much more durable. They can last up to 25,000 hours while incandescent bulbs only last up to 2,000 hours.
Of course, if you have like 30 smart bulbs in your house, expect that these bulbs can cost a few dollars in electricity per month.
Some people call smart bulbs as vampire appliances. These appliances are those that suck energy even if they are not in use.
Although smart bulbs use power if they are off, the cost is too little for you to even notice.
These bulbs only use cents of electricity in a month, which should not put a dent in your pocket.
Do smart bulbs use WiFi when off?
If they are turned off from the main line, which means no electricity is passing through, the bulbs do not use WiFi at all.
It is because without electricity the bulbs cannot run the software. Because of that, they also cannot connect with the WiFi.
However, if you turn them off from your phone, thy will still use WiFi. They must do this, otherwise, they are no longer smart bulbs.
The reason they draw WiFi is so you can control them when you are not around. For example, you may be a thousand miles away on vacation.
If the bulb is on from the main power, it can communicate with your WiFi, even if the light is off.
Now, you are being on vacation, can get your phone, and then turn the bulb on and off as you wish.
People who use smart bulbs do it for convenience and safety. The cost of electricity and data should not be a worry.
On both issues of electricity and WiFi, the cost of a smart bulb is too small.
Even if you have ten of them, you will not experience any degradation of service or increase in your electric bill.
Can Smart Bulbs be hacked?
Yes, they can be hacked.
However, what will the hacker do? The smart bulb has no camera or audio capabilities.
As such, the hacker can only turn the bulb on and off again and again.
Now, even if your smart bulb is connected to your WiFi, you should not be scared.
Hackers cannot access your computers or mobile devices even if they are connected to the same WiFi as the smart bulb.
The connection of your PC and mobile devise to your WiFi is encrypted.
What this means is that the hacker may intercept that data but not access it or decipher it. All sensitive data to and from your network is safe.
What can I do to prevent my bulb from being hacked?
Here are some things you can do to prevent being hacked.
First, you must regularly update the software in your smart bulb app and device.
Some smart bulbs have firmware that gets an upgrade on a regular basis. Do not miss on this.
Next, choose a strong password for your smart bulb app and system. This password must be different from the ones that you currently use.
Next, change the default password of your router. Usually, the router password is on a sticker at the back of your router.
If you do not know how to change it, contact your internet service provider and ask for instructions. Again, use a strong and different password.
Hacking is a difficult thing to do. The only reason people get scared so much is because movies make it seem so easy. But no, hacking is difficult.
Hackers usually succeed because of social engineering. They trick you into providing your password through a phishing site.
Normally, they would send random emails to thousands or millions of people.
This email pretends to be a bank, notifying that recipient that something disturbing happened to his account, and that the only way to protect it is to change the password.
Now, the unsuspecting victim would follow the instructions and enter his password on a fake website.
From here, the hacker already has the password and username, and can go on and hack the user’s other accounts, including his WiFi, if the password is the same.
Conclusion
Smart bulbs, by design, are made for efficiency, power-savings, and convenience.
Most of these bulbs are expensive because they are made of LED.
It is true that they are far more expensive than the typical incandescent bulb, but then they also save a lot mor energy.