Have you been looking for ways to save money with your home security system? Alternatively, have you been trying to find a way to use energy in your home more efficiently? It turns out that there’s one solution to both problems. It’s called an “energy management” system or solution, and its likely to become a regular part of many homes in upcoming years.Research has shown that many people support home energy management47 of 1,000 adults in America. But how exactly can people accomplish this? Some home security and other service providers already offer certain connectivity applications that will optimize use of the service to avoid energy use overload. However, with the growing number of appliances that can be connected to a network in the home, it is becoming more common to see third-party energy management solutions.Examples of systems that can be connected to an energy management system include fire alarms, security systems, HVAC systems, and lighting systems. With energy management, users can set up schedules for their systems (such as automatically heating up or cooling down the house at certain times of the day), get notifications when certain settings are changed, and monitor and adjust their overall energy usage.People are likely to become more aware of energy efficiency in their homes thanks to a non-security-related change taking place later in 2011: the introduction of EnergyGuide labels on televisions, starting in May. The U.S. Department of Energy is also set to launch its Home Energy Score system, in which trained contractors will rate homes with 45 data points and assign it a score (through a tool developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory).The rating will be on a 10 point scale, with 10 representing “excellent energy performance.” The home will even get a label, showing the score and other data like size, total energy, and energy savings after recommended improvements. We’re sure these are mostly meant for the homeowners themselves, but we can see them being the source of some competition (friendly or otherwise) between neighbors.It’s easy to see the benefits of energy management in both residential homes and commercial buildings. If you’re looking for a way to improve not just your security, but your overall energy usage, look into your provider’s options, as well as third-party solutions.