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?

Features and benefits of smart home devices

A smarter home is a more secure home

• 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.

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

Seeing the light: The benefits of smart lights

• 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.

Wake up with ease using smart LED lights

• 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.

Smart doorbells

Smart bulb

Smart camera

  Common questions

What are the benefits to upgrading to a smart home?

Upgrading to a connected home will offer many benefits improving comfort, security and overall quality of life. Below we list some key advantages:

• Smart homes reduce energy consumption making them very energy efficient and sustainable. Energy efficiency devices can help reduce household bills.
• Monitor your home remotely from work, while on holidays, from anywhere.
• Smart home security systems provide advanced features for protecting your property. Monitor your household through use of smart cameras and doorbells.
• Optimise energy use and save money.

How do you set up smart lights?

Smart lights connect to your home's Wi-Fi network and communicate with a central hub or control system allowing you to control the lights from your smartphone, tablet, or smart speaker using a compatible app or voice commands. Smart lights come in different forms, including bulbs, strips, and panels. Setting up smart lighting systems is simple. You can set your system to provide greater control and flexibility over your home’s lighting. Follow the steps below:

• Install the light bulb or strip in your home. Follow the manufacturers guide.
• Download the smart light brand’s app to your device.
• Connect your smart light to your network. Ensure your smart bulb is paired with the mobile application.
• Use the app to configure the lights. Name your bulbs. Set lighting schedules.
• Test the smart lighting system to ensure it is running correctly.

Smart lights provide convenient lighting options. Personalise lighting displays, save energy, save money and enhance your home security.

How do you remotely control a smart home?

In order to remotely control a smart home you will need internet connection, a smart home hub (amazon echo plus or a google nest) and smart home devices. Once you have these, the following steps will allow you to control your smart home system away from home:

• Set up the devices that you wish to connect to your smart home system.
• Install the relevant apps.
• Create user accounts on the mobile apps and link your smart devices to your app.
• Connect your apps to your home’s Wi-Fi network.
• Install a smart home app for full control, like Apple HomeKit, Google Home or Amazon Alexa.
• Begin monitoring your smart home through use of camera feeds and smart doorbells, receiving alerts from triggered sensors.

Make sure to follow security instructions from your device manufacturers to ensure your home's digital security is well protected.

How safe is a smart home?

Ensuring the safety of a smart home safe depends on many factors. Make sure your home Wi-Fi has a strong and unique password with encryption. Keep all devices and relevant apps updated. Review and restrict device permissions. Monitor device activity for any suspicious behaviour. Use a firewall to protect your network and do not use 3rd party apps.

Are smart LED lights energy saving?

Yes, smart LED lights are energy saving as they consume less electricity so it has a much smaller impact on the environment. Smart bulbs can be programmed to turn on and off to save energy. If you accidentally leave your lights on, you can turn them off remotely. LED bulbs use less electricity than average ones, while giving the same brightness or warmth. You can also adjust the brightness of a smart bulb, saving you electricity by dimming them when a bright light isn’t required. Using smart LED lights in your home will provide huge energy bill savings.

Can smart lights save money?

Yes, smart home lighting will save you money by having greater control of your household energy use reducing your electricity bills. Upgrading to smart lighting is the easiest first step to begin building a smart or smarter home. Smart lighting is not just an impressive smart tech gadget, it will save you a chunk in your monthly bills. The greater the control smart technology allows you over your home lighting systems means the greater savings over time on your electricity bill.
 

Contact us with any smart home questions