157

HOME IMPROVEMENTS 27
Looking to make a move in 2024?
Whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or remortgage your home this year, our
award-winning Residential Conveyancing team can help take the stress away,
leaving you to focus on what’s important. Visit our website for an instant quote
and if you’re happy, you can instruct us straight away - any time, day or night.
01633 244233
hardingevans.com
hello@hevans.com
Your lawyers, for life.
“Transform Your Living Space: Embrace the Future
with Smart Home Technology”
In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern living, the integration of smart home
technology has become synonymous with convenience, efficiency, and security.
There are an estimated 2.22 million smart homes in the UK. A survey last October
found that 57% of homes now contain a smart device. More than 1 in 6 of us control
our smart devices from outside our home daily. In this blog, we explore the benefits of
smart home technology and unveil the top ten applications that can elevate your home
to new heights of intelligence.
Benefits of Smart Home Technology
Energy Efficiency
Smart solutions enable you to monitor and control your
home’s energy usage efficiently and from anywhere in the
world. Smart thermostats, automated window coverings,
and energy-efficient windows collaborate to create an ecofriendly
environment, resulting in lower energy bills.
Security Reinvented
Bolster the security of your home with smart windows and
doors, integrated with advanced security systems. Smart
locks, surveillance cameras, and motion detectors can be
easily controlled and monitored through your smartphone,
providing real-time updates and peace of mind.
Convenient Automation
Simplify your daily routine with the automation of various tasks. With smart lighting
and appliance control, your home becomes an intuitive, self-regulating ecosystem.
They make your home look occupied when it is not and optimise energy usage.
Integration with Voice Assistants
Seamlessly connect your appliances with popular voice assistants like Amazon Alexa
or Google Assistant. Control your home environment with simple voice commands,
adding an extra layer of accessibility.
Top Ten Smart Home Applications
Smart Lighting
Illuminate your home intelligently with smart lighting systems that adapt to your
preferences, enhance ambiance, and contribute to energy savings. Companies like Kasa
provide plugs, extension cable and bulbs that can be controlled via their mobile phone
app. These are a great way of making your home look occupied even when it is not and
creates a more comfortable, welcoming ambiance. Practically it also means that you can
turn upstairs lights on before you go upstairs, reducing the likelihood of you lighting
rooms or floors when they are not occupied.
Thermostat Control
Optimize your home’s temperature with smart thermostats, learning your habits to
create a comfortable environment while reducing energy consumption. According to
the Energy Saving Trust, turning your thermostat down by just one degree can cut bills
by about £145 a year, which is around 4-5%. Smart thermostats controlled by mobile
phone apps also mean that you can turn the temperature down when you are out of the
home and turn it back up before you return.
Automated Window Coverings/blinds
Automated blinds or curtains, allowing you to control natural light and privacy
effortlessly. You can ensure they are up when the sun is shining to benefit from any
solar gain and down to reduce heat loss when it is dark or cloudy.
Smart Security Systems
Fortify your home with smart security cameras, doorbell cameras, and motion
sensors that keep you connected and protected, even when you’re away. The level of
sophistication of even self-installed systems has increased significantly in recent years
and most are compatible with some form of mobile app.
Smart Locks and Sensors
Upgrade your home’s security with smart locks and sensors allow you to monitor
and in some cases control access remotely. Never again will you leave home, lock the
door, and wonder two minutes later whether you had locked your windows or doors.
Glevum are due to launch a range of Smart Doors and Windows which will allow you
to monitor if they are closed, open and even locked, via the associated Smart App. This
offers real-time monitoring, will alert you if you leave any door or window unlocked
and gives you a history of when any doors or windows have been locked or unlocked.
Smart Home Hubs
Centralise control with a smart home hub that acts as a command centre, facilitating
communication between various smart devices. These can also divert traffic off Wi-Fi
or Bluetooth, easing network congestion. With all the smart home devices connected in
the home, users can also remotely access the various systems and control them while
away from home with their smart home app.
Voice-Activated Assistants
Integrate voice-activated assistants with your smart devices for hands-free control of
your smart home devices, enhancing accessibility and convenience. Alexa it is estimated
is used in 46% of UK homes but Siri (Apple) and Google Assistant are also popular.
Smart Appliances
From refrigerators to ovens, smart appliances offer enhanced functionality and
efficiency, providing you with a more connected and streamlined kitchen. Fridges
can allow you to literally see what is inside from your
mobile phone, monitor use by dates and even make recipe
suggestions based upon the contents. How smart is your
fridge?
Smart Home Entertainment
Create an immersive entertainment experience with smart
TVs, speakers, and home theatre systems that can be
seamlessly integrated into your smart home ecosystem. This
can also include access via multiple devices to any playlist
you might subscribe to.
Environmental Monitoring within the home
Keep tabs on your home’s air quality, humidity, and other
environmental factors with smart sensors, lets you take action to ensure a healthy and
comfortable living space. This can be particularly useful for people suffering from
certain health conditions.
For those of us old enough to remember the TV programme, this may sound a bit
Tomorrow’s World, but smart home technology is here today, and it is just a matter of
to what extent we want to fully utilise this ourselves. If you would like to be notified
of when Glevum Smart Doors and Windows are available, please contact Glevum on
0800 332255 or contact Glevum via their website at www.glevum.co.uk and you will
be sent details.