One of the big home design trends over the last few decades has been the rise of the ‘smart’ home. This has meant not only more technology in the home, but more interconnected technology.
Why integrate technology into your home?
The right technology can add considerable quality of life to your experience at home. It can free up time, and help you to tailor things to your liking. For example, you might have your bathroom scales log your weight over time, and have the information used to shape your shopping list every week.
How? Smart hubs!
In many cases, the smart devices you buy will be able to communicate with one another only via a central hub – usually provided by a specific manufacturer like Google or Amazon.
These devices will issue instructions to the various other devices to which they are connected. So, you might speak a voice command into your Amazon Echo, and have it dim the lights in your kitchen.
There are a number of options to choose from, but bear in mind that your choice of hub will restrict your other smart-device options. So, by buying into a given ‘eco-system’ of cameras, light bulbs, and other smart devices, you’ll be preventing yourself from bringing others from rival manufacturers into the same system.
Lighting
Smart bulbs include special circuitry and wireless receivers, which allow them to be controlled by your hub without the need for any extra wiring. They’re more expensive than standard bulbs – but if you’re dimming them, some of this cost will be absorbed over time.
You can change not only the brightness of your bulbs, but their hue. You might even program them to switch on and off while you’re out, which might provide a security deterrent.
Heating
A smart meter, paired with a combi boiler, will allow you to track your heating costs more effectively, and to find small savings. Given that your heating uses vastly more energy than any other appliance in your home, being able to control it precisely can provide a substantial financial benefit – as well as making your home life much more convenient.
When you’re shopping for a thermostat, look to see whether your boiler can take advantage of all the features available. Some manufacturers will make their own smart thermostats. It’s often a good idea to pair like with like.
Security and monitoring
Smart cameras, doorbells and alarms can work in tandem with one another, allowing you to monitor your home remotely. This might provide you with peace of mind whilst you’re on holiday. But they’re also much more affordable than the traditional wired kind of security system – since no cables need to be threaded through your home.
