While the term “smart home” is fairly vague, there are also some common trends that tend to be more useful and utilize the latest innovations in technology in effective ways. One of these innovations is called Z-Wave, which is basically a wireless protocol that allows devices to hop their signal to one another, dramatically widening the distance that your IoT (internet of things) can communicate. So the term smart home can be described as the latest tech trends that people are using to automate tasks in their home. So let’s look at some of the most popular technology.
Voice Assistants and Smart Speakers
69% of people in the US say that they use voice controlled technology at least once a month.
The statistics also point out that most of this usage consists of researching information on search engine or online shopping. My point is that people are relying more and more on hands free technology to make their lives easier. So the first milestone of having a smart home, in my opinion, is having voice assistant technology around the time.
Usually this would mean an Amazon Echo Dot with Alexa or a Google Home smart speaker in the kitchen or on your night stand, but some might take it a few levels farther and have them integrated into their walls or have them control chained events, like having all the lights come on when you enter a home.
Smart Thermostats and Climate Control
Another popular application of smart home tech is climate control. You might be wondering why smart thermostats are so popular, especially if your air conditioning is working fine. Well, the simplest answer is that it’s is almost guaranteed to pay for itself over time as you save money on the electricity bill. But that isn’t the only reason people use them. They also have a more accurate reading of the temperature, especially if you connect them to more temperature gauges. If your thermostat knows the average temperature of your entire home instead of just one room, it will be less affected by the shifting of sunlight and other factors, giving you a smoother climate.
Smart Lights and Sensors
Smart lighting is another feature that is made popular by its tendency to save its users money on electricity. On average, about 12 percent of annual utility costs are related to lighting. The difference here is that it takes a little more thought to add smart lights to a home and it’s generally a little more expensive. If you don’t believe me, make a list of all the lights in your home and compare that to the price of the average smart bulb.
Also, this is where you start getting into IFTTT technology and set scenes and commands that control multiple appliances and power sources. For example if you know you’re about to have dinner you could set a command like “Alexa, it’s dinner time” and then the dining room lights dim and maybe some low classical music play (just as an example). Or a more financially practical application would be having all of the lights in the house turn off when you lock the front door.
Smart Locks and Security
Security is a very important factor of smart home technology. Studies have shown that 3 out of 5 Americans agree that security is the top benefit of having a smart home. Not only that, but smart security has been shown to increase a home’s resale value (marginally).
Just like lighting, smart security and smart locks pair great with IFTTT technology. Typically with professionally monitored home security with smart features you’ll want to go with a good company like BSG. You don’t want false alarms, but you also want help if an emergency situation actually happens. With purely DIY home security, you have to actually take action and call the authorities or emergency services yourself. That’s because emergency services don’t want to constantly respond to false alarms. With BSG, you will have them notified automatically and if you’re away from your phone or on vacation you can rest easy knowing that your home is being watched after by professionals.
Another benefit of smart security is being able to check your homes status with your phone. If you can’t remember if you locked up when you left from work, then all you have to do is whip your phone out. Or if you see a fire truck headed toward the direction of your home, instead of actually driving home, you can simply check your phone to see if any of your interconnected smart smoke alarms went off.
Get a free quote here or call to get a professional security consultation at 1-855-MYSMARTHOME.
Thinking about home security? With a property crime occurring every 3.7 seconds, its important to know that you are 33% less likely to be broken into with a home security system. We provide monitored security starting at lowest price in the industry, $14.95/mo, and up to 20% off equipment.
