The ‘smart home’ is the new ‘internet of things or objects that can serve you better by communicating with each other or directly with you through apps on your smartphone. In the ideal version of the wired future, all of our appliances and gadgets would talk to each other seamlessly.
What is it like to live in a smart home? Picture something like this:
The lights in your bedroom slowly illuminate to quietly awaken you in the morning, replacing the typical blaring alarm. The aroma of fresh brewed coffee drifts in and stirs your senses. Once the lights are up, the heating system kicks on, just in time to warm up your room, so you’re not shocked once you crawl out from underneath the duvet.
When you step into the shower, it turns on automatically and remembers your preferred temperature and water pressure. And it shuts off on schedule as it knows how long you take to bathe.
Once you’ve driven out of your garage, your home alarm system arms itself. And it will only unlock when it “sees” and recognizes someone else from your family approaching through programmed biometrics.
Do smart homes work this way right now? While you may find some of these smart features in homes, we are not at the point where every element intuitively knows what you want and when you wanted. However, each year we’re getting closer and closer toward that shiny, idealized ‘Jetson’ future.
Here are some trends that we see for smart homes, many of which may also help you save money:
Smart Thermostats
Programmable thermostats that are synchronized with the clock have been around for decades. However, they’re often tricky to set and aren’t necessarily efficient; they turn on or off as programmed, whether you are there.
With the newer models, smart thermostats can be programmed to adjust the temperature when they sense you are present. And once you leave, they can kick back to standby mode so that you’re saving energy and money. Nest does all of this, and it also allows you to check your usage from your cell phone to adjust the temperature remotely and save even more.
Smart Smoke Detectors
Having a working and effective smoke detector can save lives. But unfortunately, many of us still have those battery-run smoke detectors that make that annoying, piercing beep when their batteries are running low on power. And instead of replacing batteries right away, it’s often easier to pull them out and disable the detector (while risking our lives).
Many of the new smart smoke detectors, like the Birdi, monitor smoke, carbon dioxide, as well as air quality. With this new sensor technology, they know the difference between a real fire and burnt toast.
Smart Sprinkler Control
The weather in our area is predictably unpredictable. Often, especially during the summer months, we fall into a severe drought. But then we might have one season that brings extreme amounts of rain like we did this past spring.
A smart sprinkler controller like Rachio can not only help save you lots of money on your water bill but also help protect our precious resources.
Programmable by computer or smartphone, it can automatically adjust how often you water your lawn based on the season and the weather forecasts. You can also remotely change the settings through a mobile app.
Smart Solar Panels
You can put the sun to work for you by using solar technology to power your home. It’s green and renewable and can save you money over the long term. According to
EnergySage, as of September 2020, on average solar system size in California, a homeowner will save $55,767 over 20 years. Savings compare total solar cost vs. utility cost for the same amount of electricity, including all costs, incentives, and inflation. With smart solar panels, you can program the technology to monitor their performance and even turn them off in case of a weather emergency or fire.
Smart Home Security Systems
Home monitoring has become much more sophisticated in recent years. With the old-style security systems, you had to call in contractors to wire your home with monitoring sensors.
With new smart technology, you can place a few smart devices in your home to monitor movement and sense whether doors and windows are closed or opened. Some systems include audio and video monitoring, as well as sirens to scare off intruders. You get real-time feedback on security breaches through an app. And, because you’re alerted as soon as the system senses an intruder, it’s more likely that they will be caught.
Canary is a popular all-in-one audio-video security system, complete with sirens and night vision.
Smart Locks
Go beyond the standard key locks, which burglars can often compromise. The new smart lock systems give you more control over those who can gain access to your home.
Like the Kwikset Kevo, some systems include encrypted virtual keys that you can program for access for a limited amount of time—for example, allowing guests over for a weekend or cleaning service during a specific window of time.
Other door locking systems include biometric technology. The Ola smart lock allows you to program your lock to recognize your family member’s fingerprints. Other systems use facial recognition to greet you and unlock your door.
The new August smart lock integrates with Apple’s technology, so you can ask Siri to open your door for you.
Smart lighting systems and light bulbs
A well-lit home feels warm and welcoming, and good lighting can instantly increase the value of your home.
However, annual lighting costs can account for up to 12% of your electricity bill, or over $200 per year, according to Energy Star. You can quickly reduce this expense by using smart lighting technology to add efficiency.
The Philips Hue Wi-Fi enabled lights make it easy to add to your home without installing specialized equipment. Smart lighting dimmers and sensors can give you more control over how much energy you use and allow you to turn them on and off through your smartphone.
New smart light bulbs can give you control over the warmth or coolness levels of your lighting. With LED light bulbs, for example, you can program your light bulbs to turn on or off when you want, to wake you up with increasing illumination, or to change from daytime work lighting to entertainment-friendly shades for parties.
Smart Appliances
Programmable slow cookers and coffee makers are the quaint, old-fashioned versions of these home conveniences. Newer, smart appliances give you more control over how your food is kept and prepared and make it easier for you to complete pesky household chores.
Newer coffee makers, like the Smarter coffee machine, let you ‘order’ your coffee exactly to your liking, adjusting everything from bean grind to temperature to strength to the time that it’s ready to drink.
Smart refrigeration technology can help you store your food at just the right temperature, adjusting the thermostat during peak usage times. For example, the LG THINQ fridge can alert you via a smartphone app if a door is accidentally left open.
Smart ovens can ensure that your food is cooked to the right level and alert you when your meal is ready to eat. In June, a new counter oven invented by former Google, Apple, Go-Pro, and Path employees will give you even more control—it will contain cameras, thermometers, and other technology to ‘learn’ what you like to eat and make menu suggestions.
Smart washers and dryers have customizable controls so that you can safely wash any fabric. Some units include controls to increase the drying time to save energy. And soon, connected appliances from GE, Oster, Samsung, and other makers, will be able to re-order soap and fabric softener directly from Amazon, so you won’t even have to think about running to the store at the last minute.
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