Smart homes are designed to make your life easier. They allow you to control your devices when you’re away, schedule them to turn off at certain times to save energy, and get alerts about everything going on at your home for added security.
For example, you can turn on a smart TV with your voice, answer a video doorbell from your smartphone, change the temperature on your smart thermostat when you’re away, or automatically turn off your smart lights whenever you leave the house, just to name a few.
While smart home technology might seem intimidating, nearly 70% of US households already have at least one smart home device, according to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). If you want to upgrade your home with smart devices, here are some of the benefits you might not know about.
Benefit 1: Remotely Control Your Smart Home with Your Smartphone
Smart home devices are also known as “connected devices” because they connect to the internet, which allows them to be controlled remotely. Most smart home devices have smartphone apps that let you turn the device on and off or change other settings from anywhere in the world.
As long as your smartphone is connected to the internet, you can use it to turn off your smart lights, change the temperature on your smart thermostat, lock your front door with a smart lock, and more – even when you’re miles away from home.
In order to control your smart devices remotely, you need to have a strong, reliable WiFi connection in your home. HelloTech can tell you exactly how good your WiFi is in every room in your home and suggest ways to improve your connection with our home technology checkup service.
Benefit 2: Use Your Voice to Control Your Home with Smart Speakers
Smart speakers are the heart of any smart home. These devices come with a “smart assistant” built-in, which allows you to control all your smart devices using simple voice commands. For example, you can turn off all your smart lights without getting out of bed simply by saying, “Alexa, turn off all the lights.”
Once you connect smart devices to your smart speaker, you can control multiple smart devices at once. For example, you can create a morning routine that will turn on all the lights in your bedroom, and start your smart coffee maker, and change the temperature on your smart thermostat when you say, “Alexa, start my day.”
Smart speakers are also great for listening to music, getting traffic and weather reports, setting reminders, and much more. However, not all smart speakers will work with all smart home devices, and you need to make sure they are compatible before adding them to your smart home.
Read More: Alexa vs Google vs Siri: Which smart assistant Is best for you?
Benefit 3: Control Your Home on a Schedule or with Automation
With a smart home, you can set up schedules to turn your devices on or off at certain times, or you can control them automatically when certain events occur. For example, you can make your lights turn on at the same time you wake up every morning, or you can make them automatically turn off when you leave home.
With a technology called “geofencing,” you can sync your smart devices to your phone’s location. This way, you can make your smart lights turn off automatically whenever you leave home. You could also use this feature to automatically lock your smart locks or change the temperature on your smart thermostat when you leave or arrive.
Almost all smart home devices will let you create schedules or set up automation routines, but some of them offer more features than others. If you want to avoid the hassle, HelloTech has thousands of technicians across the country who can come to your home and install your smart devices for you.
Benefit 4: Monitor Your Home with Smart Cameras and Video Doorbells
Smart cameras and video doorbells let you keep an eye on your home when you’re away. This way, you can see a live view of your home from your smartphone anytime, anywhere. These devices also come with motion detectors built-in, so you’ll receive an alert whenever someone steps foot on your property.
Most video doorbells and smart cameras these days also come with microphones and speakers built-in. This means you can answer your front door or speak to any visitors when you’re away. That also makes these devices great for checking in on your pets, children, or elderly loved ones aging in place.
Most video doorbells and smart cameras will record a short video clip whenever they detect motion. These recordings are then saved to the cloud, so you can access them from your smartphone anytime. However, these features usually require you to pay a monthly subscription fee.
Benefit 5: Protect Your Home with a Smart Security System and Smart Locks
A smart home security system is similar to a traditional security system, but it is cheaper, easier to use, and more customizable. These kits usually come with a smart hub and several sensors for your windows and doors. But you can always add more sensors that detect motion, fire, carbon monoxide, and flooding. Or you can build your own smart security system with devices like smart locks.
With a smart security system, you can get 24/7 professional monitoring and support with police, fire, and medical emergency response. While this does require you to pay a monthly subscription fee, it’s almost always cheaper than a traditional security system, and it doesn’t come with long-term contracts.
By adding a smart lock, you’ll never have to worry about losing your keys again. The companion app lets you check the status of your lock and even lock or unlock your door from your smartphone. Some smart locks also let you create “digital keys” to let in the house cleaner or dog walker at specific times.
If you want to know more about how to improve your home security with smart devices, HelloTech can answer all your questions. With thousands of hand-picked experts across the country, we are sure to have someone nearby that can come to your home and install your smart home security system for you.
Benefit 6: Save Energy with Smart Thermostats, Smart Lights, and Smart Plugs
With smart thermostats, smart lights, and smart plugs, you can turn your devices off when you’re away or sleeping in order to help you save energy. The average household saves 10-15% on heating and cooling costs just by installing a smart thermostat, which means the device pays for itself in just two years.
A smart light bulb uses 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, and it will pay for itself over the course of its lifetime. On the other hand, smart plugs use less power when your devices are turned off. This “vampire energy” costs the average household up to $100 a year, according to the Department of Energy.
Most smart devices will also measure exactly how much power they are using and provide you with tips on how to use less energy. There are even some smart devices that can automatically turn off or enter “eco mode” during peak hours, when energy prices are higher.
Read More: How to save money and energy with a smart home
Benefit 7: Make Entertainment Easier with a Smart TV or Streaming Device
One of the most popular smart home devices is a smart TV because it gives you access to thousands of movies and TV shows from popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max. If you have a regular TV, you can also access the same content with a streaming device, like an Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Once you connect your TV to a smart speaker, you can use voice commands to turn on your TV, search for something new to watch, fast forward past the opening credits, and more. Plus, you can dim your smart lights, turn off your smart fans, and more with a single voice command, like “Alexa, let’s watch a movie.”
Most streaming platforms offer lots of free programming, but you will have to pay for certain content on some streaming services. However, switching from cable to streaming services could save you between $800 and $1,450, according to Roku.
If you decide to upgrade your TV, nothing will make it better than mounting it on the wall. HelloTech can send a professional to your home to mount your TV for you and hide your wires in the wall as soon as today!
