How Smart is your home?

I’ve always considered myself to be a bit of an early adopter when it comes to tech, a bit of a gadget geek if you will, and it is only recently that I have started to realise just how ‘smart’ my home has become. It fascinates me and makes me wonder what will exist when my girls are all group up. Things that were once only dreamed of in science fiction are now becoming part of our everyday lives thanks to advancements in technology, and are making a real impact in our homes. From friendly speakers that hang on your every word through to appliances you can switch on from your office desk, here are just some of the ways you can use smart technology to help you around the home…

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Happy Hubs

At the heart of the smart home is a hub, and pretty much every one of my friends has one or is looking to buy one. Vying for market share on the hub front are products such as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home and Samsung’s SmartThing to name just a few. The hubs are effectively technological personal assistants. Depending on which make and model you choose, along with the compatible appliances you have in your home, they could knock a ton of tasks off your to-do list. Granted, these are small things like setting your alarm, turning on the TV or radio or checking your calendar for the day, however, having your hands free when you have a baby or toddler in tow is a real bonus, and the hub responds to your basic requests. Some even include features which can help track your breastfeeding (no more pen and paper or app required!). One of the smartest things about home hubs is the fact they give you time back by allowing you to multitask more easily, and wouldn’t we all like a few more hours in the day!?

Take Anywhere TV

You’re talking to a girl who grew up in the 80’s, where TV ‘shut down’ at night, and we only had 4 channels so got pretty damn excited when channel 5 first got announced! It’s fair to say TV’s have come a long way and were one of the first bits of ‘smart’ technology welcomed into our home. Between 2014 and 2017 the spread of Smart TVs in UK homes rose from 12% to 38%. Now, along with watching the news or Shimmer and Shine on repeat (this is my life), Smart TVs can connect to the internet so you can cheer up your morning by watching puppy videos on YouTube, play video games, do a little retail therpay or use a range of entertainment apps to listen to music or watch movies and box sets. TV Providers are also increasingly offering options to keep us connected on the go. Whether you want to catch up on the news on your morning commute or think Peppa Pig could help keep the kids calm on a long car journey, the likes of Virgin TV Go and the new SkyQ (explained here with box prices by Choose) have introduced the next generation of TV viewing options that allow the whole family to watch different channels on their choice of tablet or TV.

Amazing Appliances

If you already have a smart TV or home hub and you’re wondering which appliances you could add to your collection to give you a helping hand, the list is really growing. You’ll find smart appliances, and products for the home now include everything from colour changing light bulbs controlled from your phone or home hub, through to toasters that send you a text when your bread is toasted to your exact requirements. How amazing is that?! Now if you and your partner can’t agree on the tanning level of your toast, at least you know someone who can! Smart refrigerators with touch screens are also currently being pushed by Samsung in the US. These feature synchronising family calendars, menu planners (something I’ve been wanting to do for AGES!), shopping lists and even a camera that lets you check the contents of your fridge, wherever you are! No more getting home from work at 7pm and realising you’ve got no milk!

Smart ovens are already a thing here in the UK, allowing you to pop out for the day and slow cook a roast to perfection with the help of remote monitoring and control from your smartphone. Those who aren’t naturally gifted in the cooking department can even make use of a range of recipe pre-set programmes, which select just the right temperature and time for the meal you are cooking! How amazing is that!

Helpful Heating

These days, Smart Central Heating Systems are becoming more and more commonplace. The Hive Heating plan from British Gas and Nest’s learning thermostat are just two of the products on the market offering you the option of smart heating control. I have been stung far too many times by forgetting to put the heating on, and coming back to a freezing cold house where even our duvet feels chilly at bedtime! Along with the convenience of automatically selecting just the right temperature for when you wake or walk through the door and adjusting the heat levels when you leave for work in the morning, they’re also pitched as energy saving devices. For a one-off cost for your setup, Google owned Nest uses sensors and the location of your phone to work out that you’re no longer in the building and turns down the temperature accordingly. The Hive Heating plan works in a similar way but does require a monthly subscription to Hive Home, which comes with various devices including sensors, bulbs and plugs to get you started according to your choice of package.

Does smart home technology appeal to you or do you prefer the old way of getting things done?

If the whole concept seems a little far-fetched to you, check out this article from the Express about smart home ready properties being built in Milton Keynes! The opportunities really are endless!