Upgrade your home to a smart home

Making the switch to a smart home is easy. More and more people are changing to smart home systems. This practical upgrade will save you a lot of money! In this blog we will explain what a smart home is and the many benefits.

What is a smart home?

A smart home is a home with a network of connected devices that can be controlled both within the home and remotely. Your smart devices can be controlled from your smartphone or with voice assistant, at any time of day and provided you have internet connection from anywhere. The goal of a smart home is to make your living space more comfortable, convenient, and safe, while also reducing energy consumption and lowering costs.

View our new range of smart home products for an extensive selection of smart devices.

Features and benefits of smart home devices

Smart tech offers convenience, energy efficiency and enhanced home security. These devices work together as a connected network. You can control smart devices through device manufacturers mobile apps or through voice commands if a smart speaker is used as the smart home central hub. The table below breaks down the benefits of different smart devices, their features and benefits:
 

Smart Home Device	Features	Benefits
Smart lighting	Dimmable and colour changing options	Creates different interior atmospheric effects
	Timers and scheduling	Automate lights to come on at different times for security
	Energy-efficient	Reduce energy consumption and lowers bills
Smart doorbells	HD video with two-way audio	Monitor and communicate with visitors when you’re not home
	Wide-angle lens	View a broader view of your houses surroundings
	Weather resistant	Designed to withstand rain and storms
	Cloud storage	Access recorded video footage in case there is anything amiss at the door
Smart plug	Timing and scheduling	Schedule lights and appliances to turn on and off remotely
	Energy monitoring	Track energy usage and reduce bills
	Away mode	Simulate house occupancy for home security
Smart camera	HD surveillance	Monitor your home with clear and detailed footage
	Two-way audio	Communicate with people at home through an in-built microphone
	Motion detection	Motion is detected ensuring you will be notified in case of intruders
	Night vision	Clear quality footage even at night
	Cloud storage	Review old footage to maintain safety of household, or in case of home burglary access old footage

If you don’t have a smart home platform yet, you can start small by using smart plugs and smart lights. These smart plugs are plugged into your electrical outlets monitoring the energy consumption of whatever appliance you put them into. Use apps to let you program times of use, remotely turn on and off power and even view your total energy consumption. Smart plugs enable almost any appliance to become a smart device.

A smarter home is a more secure home

Smart home technology enables you to effortlessly control and monitor your home. Seamlessly connect, manage, monitor and protect a household. Below are listed the various smart home devices that can empower you to have peace of mind while away on holidays or at work and protection from unwanted visitors:

• The presence of smart doorbell cameras can be a deterrent effect for potential intruders. Real-time surveillance and mobile notifications provide access to detect suspicious activity. Cloud storage enables you to view old recorded footage in case of car theft, home burglary or any form of criminal investigation accessing video evidence can be useful.
• Smart lighting is perfect for using while away to simulate daily lighting patterns. Some smart lights are equipped with motion sensors, intruders can be deterred by motion detection lights. Scheduled lighting is ideal to automate while on holiday to create light time schedules to turn lights on and off.
• Smart security cameras enable you to monitor their house indoors and outdoors remotely providing live video feeds, motion detection and mobile app notifications. Cloud storage allows you to review old footage in case of a home intrusion.

Home security has dramatically improved with the advancement of this form of technology and increased range of products readily available. Home automated systems provide peace of mind and convenience while you are away from home for whatever period of time, from a brief trip to the shop to a family holiday abroad. Make your home smart or smarter home for safer living.

Change how you think about home lighting: What exactly are smart lights?

Smart lights are LED lighting systems that are connected to the internet and can be controlled through the use of your smartphone or voice command. These lighting systems offer enhanced mood lighting, voice control and the option to turn lights off remotely.

Different colour settings allow you to create customised indoor scenes, making them a great decorative effect. Connect them to your other smart home devices such as smart speakers, smart security cameras or any other devices that contain sensors so that you can command them on and off either with your voice, using Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa.

Seeing the light: The benefits of smart lights

Smart lighting systems have many great uses and can improve your quality of life with a single touch, here are just a few:

• Security and safety: Never come home to a dark house again. Smart lights are an effective way to enhance home security. Set lights to turn on randomly while you’re away as a deterrent to unwanted visitors. Sync your smart lighting to work with your security systems. When you’re not home, you can still control your lighting via an app on your phone. You can set them to a timer while you're away on holiday or you can have them linked to a set location so that they come on before you get home from work.
• Convenience: Schedule a time at night to turn everything off and then back on in the morning if you often fall asleep with the bedside light on.
• Health and wellness: Waking up to a gently increasing light is less jarring than a phone alarm. Syncing your lights to the colour of the sun throughout the day has been shown to help you feel more energised. Colour-changing bulbs are fun for parties but also can be used for personal device notification settings.
• Mood and task lighting: Adjust light temperatures, colours and brightness to suit your needs and mood. Group individual smart lights to create an atmospheric effect. Create different lighting settings for performing different tasks. While cooking, focus lighting around areas near countertops or cookers. While reading, create soft and cosy lighting but bright enough to prevent eye strain.

These lights are designed to be energy efficient, customisable, safe and easy to use. Improving your quality of life and enhancing your home security these lights are a versatile and cost effective lighting solution.

Wake up with ease using smart LED lights

Are you one of those people who hits the snooze button when your alarm goes off! How about replacing your alarm with a smart bulb instead? Schedule an increase in light brightness for a period of time until your usual waking time for a gentle approach to the beginning of your day. Studies have shown that the sleep-wake cycle is influenced by the sensory reaction to light. Below we list the many benefits of using smart lights as an alarm:

• Efficiency: Less chance of sleeping through your smart light ‘alarm’.
• Convenience: You can control your smart light alarm through your smartphone. Integrate with other devices in your smart home, such as smart speakers or motion sensors.
• Customisable settings: Adjust the brightness to your preferences and select settings for different days of the week.
• Gentle and gradual wake up: Replace your traditional loud alarm with a more natural way of waking. Program your lights to increase in brightness, creating a wake up experience replicating a sunrise.

Exposure to natural light can help your natural circadian rhythm regulation, helping the body’s internal clock. Using smart LED bulbs as an alarm creates a more pleasant start to the day, providing an innovative and effective way to wake up refreshed and energised for the day ahead.
 

Contact us with any smart home questions

Make the switch! Smart homes can enhance your quality of life. Our range of smart home devices offer you the chance to create a connected household that reflects your needs. Explore our range and embrace smart home technology to unlock a more convenient, energy efficient, cost effective and safer lifestyle today! Now that you know about the many advantages of upgrading your house to a home automated system, you can continue your search for a smart home device for your home. If you have any further questions don’t hesitate to get in touch!