You’re driving to work and can’t remember whether you left the front door open. Happens to everyone, except people who have smart home technology.
Household disasters seemed to be an unavoidable part of domestic life, until smart home technology came along. Forgetting to lock the door, leaving the windows wide open, and not turning the oven off are all easy to make mistakes that can have unfortunate consequences. Smart home technology prevents these disasters before they even occur.
Did I lock that door?
11% of UK residents forget to lock their front door when they leave the house. Would-be intruders know this, and a significant number of burglars come in through the front door. If you’re worried about whether your home is safe from break-ins, smart home technology can ease your stresses and secure your home.
Smart homes can automatically lock doors behind you when you leave the house, and unlock them when you return. You also have the added benefit of not having to leave your keys under the flower pot, a trick criminals are well aware of. With a smartphone, all of which have built in GPS sensing, all you need to do is select your home location on the SmartThings app and you’ll be able to lock and unlock with a simple tap of a button.
If you want to take your home security to the next level, security doors are an excellent first line of defense and CCTV cameras can show a live recording of anywhere in your home.
Is something leaking?
Even small leaks can cause big trouble. The average cost of repair for home water damage is £2,476 but costs can escalate up to £5,165 depending on the damage. That’s a lot of money for a little leak.
Smart home technology stops leaks before they get out of control. A Building Management System (BMS), which can be controlled by the home automation system, will alert the home owner as soon as a leak is detected. The instant alert can be sent to your smartphone and you can also trigger flashing lights or an alarm to sound if you have them installed too. Nipping a water leakage in the bud can save you a lot of time and money.
Did I remember to turn off the heating?
The heating bill accounts for 50% of a home’s energy bills, so accidentally leaving the heating on when you leave the house or overnight can be costly. By turning your thermostat to a lower temperature you will save money. In fact, turning the thermostat down to 16° C from 21° C when you got to sleep can result in energy savings of up to 10%.
A heating control system can alleviate all the stress of deciding on the most comfortable temperature for the home and at what time to change it. A programmable thermostat will adjust the temperature automatically based on your preferences and the time of day. If you have an air conditioning system, the control system will also be able to change the settings automatically.