The world is evolving into a technology minefield, with people continually finding ways to make their lives more comfortable with the help of various bits of machinery and equipment. If you don’t jump on board and get technical you may risk being left behind in a sea of new upgrades. The most significant modern and upcoming trend is smart home technology, but what is it, and why should you be jumping on board?
What is smart home technology?
Smart home technology (also known as home automation) is an umbrella term for using internet-powered devices to provide security, comfort and convenience in the home. The tools are endless; with new ways to control aspects of your home being released every day, with a large proportion of being able to be controlled via your smartphone, it’s a quicker and easier way to control things in your home such as:
Heating
Lighting
Locks
TV and music
Appliances
Although the first smart home firm was founded in 2005 it’s still a relatively new concept especially in domestic homes. Large brands including Amazon, Google and Apple have all since followed the trend and invented products that are commonly used in 2019 and in to 2020.
Why should you be investing in smart home technology?
There’s a lot of speculation about how efficient and overall beneficial smart home technology is, so we’ve compiled a list of the benefits and facts that will make your choice clear.
You can save money on your heating bills
One of the most substantial bills you have every year is your heating bill, with the average household power/gas bill being £1,254. Your heating bills shouldn’t be that high, and the reason they are could be down to efficiency and usage. Smart thermostats are a recent piece of kit that connects your heating system to the internet. Depending on which device you opt for it can change your temperature, what room you are heating and boiler safety- from anywhere you like as long as you have WIFI. Smart thermostats don’t have any correlation with your energy supplier either, so you can install whenever you want. It could save you £££ on your energy bills each year, but it is a substantial investment- with the average smart thermostat costing £250. Make sure you get a qualified gas engineer if you are making any big changes.
Your home safety
Smart home technology can make your home a safer environment- when you’re there and when you’re not. The most popular way to improve your home safety is via smart doorbell. They’ve taken off fast, with an easy way to watch who’s coming by your house. They include built-in camera’s, microphones and speakers that notify your phone when someone rings your doorbell- and you can even answer them via phone rather than answering your door. Although it’s a hefty investment at an average of £100, it’s an excellent device to put your mind at rest- especially if you are away from home often.
Improved Appliance Functionality
If you decide to go all out with smart devices, you can buy kits that connect to your appliances such as lights, ovens and washing machines. Using these not only makes it easier for you to control from the sofa but can help make your activity more accurate too!
What device?
Now you know just how great having smart home technology can be, it’s time to decide what is most important to invest in- and which brand is best. Here are our top 3 smart home devices of 2019, which will make an excellent investment in 2020:
Swan wire-free smart video doorbell
At an appealing price of £49.99, this smart doorbell is one of the cheapest on the market- yet it provides an excellent service bound to help you feel safe. It’s features include:
Wireless connect
Day and night vision
Two-way talk
Heat sensor
30 days of free recording
Overall, it’s a handy device to start your smart home adventure and worth every penny!
Google Nest learning thermostat
Possibly one of the popular devices for new homes, this thermostat connects up to your boiler (it is compatible with most boiler types, and comes free with selected boiler purchases at BOXT.) It’s a bit more of a hassle to set up, as you need to have a professional come and fit it, but the result is worth it. You can control everything to do with your heating through Nest, and it programmes itself after only a week to adjust during the day depending on your schedule. It well and truly is smart and in our eyes worth the £219 price tag.
Amazon Alexa
Over 100 million Alexa devices have already been sold, which is why it’s made our top list. The Alexa is essentially a premium speaker with voice controls, so you don’t have to use a remote. However, it can connect up to other smart home devices to control them too. Look at it as a hub for all your devices to work together! You can buy them off Amazon for £89.99.
Smart home technology is continuously evolving and confusing. But with the help of this guide, you’ve now got your headstart to begin saving money and increasing home convenience!
