With the development of connected devices, smart technology has advanced year on year over the past decade. The Smart Home is now a reality not just a sci-fi dream. High-tech security devices once only accessible by the rich are now available to most homeowners.
A MoneySuperMarket survey discovered that in Britain 77% of Brits know what a connected home is, and 79% of the UK adult population have a smart phone. So you know what connected devices are and you have a smart phone to control them, what is stopping adoption of smart devices in many homes?
Smart devices are seen as more of a convenience than a necessity. That’s no surprise as the functionality of smart devices is often considered to be a lazy way to change the music you’re listening to, alter the temperature in your home, find out what the weather forecast is, or answer your door from in bed. Of course, these are all time saving and nice to have functions but actually there is a much more practical side to smart devices which could also save you money!
Smart Security
A system of smart sensors, smart cameras and a video doorbell can boost the security of your home tenfold, giving you access to the type of security system once revered by museums and art galleries.
Smart sensors can be located around the property externally and internally to cover access points, windows and doors, sensing movement and then triggering a response from another connected device such as a light, a speaker or a camera.
Smart cameras like smart sensors notify the homeowner of an intruder or movement at a location on the property, recording the incident, and providing a live video feed of it to the smart phone or tablet of the homeowner. Footage can be stored for later use, or fed to a third party such as the Police.
The combination of these types of devices should not only allow you to deal with a break in as it happens, but also deter would-be burglars before they do any damage to your property.
Smart Doorbells
A smart doorbell is for your front entrance and combines a camera, motion sensor, doorbell, and speaker, all connected to your Wi-Fi. It will notify a designated smart phone or tablet of movement on your driveway, or when someone presses the doorbell. You have live video coverage and interactive sound like an intercom with the caller. Because these doorbells are connected devices you can effectively answer the door from anywhere, even from another country, talking to the person at your door, giving them instructions on when to call back, or where to leave the parcel.
How Smart Devices Save You Money
It should come as no surprise that insurance companies like insure4retirement.co.uk can also see the advantages of heightened security, and some are rewarding households who have installed smart security devices with lower home insurance premiums. 58% of Brits claim they would install security devices if it meant a lower insurance premium so we can only expect the trend to continue with more insurers rewarding installation of smart devices, and more homeowners investing in this technology.
Interestingly, according to the Association of British Insurers, 30% of home insurance claims are down to Escape of Water, costing £3.9m per day in insurance claims. The technology is already available but as yet no highly adopted for detection of water leaks. The smart devices available not only detect the leak and inform the homeowner but can also close the water system to protect damage to the property. We can only expect further development of smart devices which protect our homes and save us money in the long run as well.
Sources
- https://www.moneysupermarket.com/home-insurance/connected-homes/
- Ofcom Communications Market Report 2019
- https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2018/12/is-water-damage-covered-by-insurance/
- Home Insurance UK, December 2019 Mintel Report