Making Your Home Smart

If you want the convenience of controlling your appliances while you’re away from home, smart devices can help. These devices connect to your Wi-Fi, allowing you to manage them through apps on your smartphone.

The types of smart devices you choose will depend on your needs.

Here are some ideas:

Utilities

If you have a smart meter, you can easily see how much energy each of your appliances is using and what it costs. This helps you identify areas of high energy use so you can make changes that save money.

You can also get smart devices to control your heating. These allow you to turn your heating on or off—or adjust the temperature—remotely using a mobile app.

One of the main benefits of smart heating is the ability to change settings while you're away. For example, if your heating is scheduled to come on at 5 p.m. but you know you won’t be home until 10 p.m., you can adjust the timer so it comes on at 9 p.m. instead—saving you four hours of heating costs.

Controlling your lighting is another advantage of having a smart home. While you're on holiday, you can schedule your lights to come on each night, making it look like someone is home. You can also ensure the lights are on when you return from work, or set them to turn off automatically when you go to bed.

Kitchen Appliances

If you want to control your kitchen appliances remotely—or even from another room—look for cookers, dishwashers, and washing machines with smart capabilities. Some require a cloud-based voice assistant or a mobile app.

If your appliance has smart connectivity, you can tell it what to do from your device. Many smart appliances also have built-in safety features—such as automatically shutting off if left on and unattended for too long.

Pets

Want to keep an eye on your furry friends while you’re out? Smart pet cameras with audio can send real-time images to your phone. Some also dispense treats and offer two-way audio, so you can hear and talk to your pet. For nighttime monitoring, look for models with night vision.

At the Front Door

A smart doorbell will notify your smartphone when someone rings it. Even if you're not at home, you can answer through the app. This adds a layer of security, as the visitor won’t know whether you're home. It also comes in handy if you're expecting a delivery—you can give instructions to the driver on where to leave your parcel.