making a smart home
Technology’s been changing the world as we know it. You can find that accessing the electronics within your home from miles away is now a thing. Video chatting with friends and family is now possible across multiple platforms like Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp video, and Facebook. Home automation has been made easier too, thanks to the introduction of smart home devices.
Speaking of home automation, you may find that the term Smart Homesis being thrown around a lot across the country. What is a smart home? Smart Homes can be described as households that use smart devices that connect to the internet in order to enable remote and wireless control of devices and appliances. It includes anything from smart lights, smart thermostats, smart locks, smart sprinklers, and numerous other smart devices that are accessible from your smartphone.
The Brilliance of a Smart Home
What is it about smart homes that make them so brilliant and something everyone wants to go for? Here are some benefits that you can expect from making a smart home for yourself.
Energy Efficiency
Smart devices, well a lot of them actually, work well enough to promote sustainability. These brilliant devices have been designed to be energy efficient – save on energy consumption wherever and however they can. Features like built-in motion detectors, scheduling settings, and access through smartphones, and voice-enabled control allow for this.
Some smart devices that are great for cutting back on energy wastage, and by proxy your utility bills too are:
- Google Nest Learning Thermostat $249.00
- Sengled Smart Wi-Fi LED multicolor bulb (2 pack) $34.99
- Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller $229.99
Security
Given that smart homes allow us to access the devices within from practically anywhere, whether it is from our offices, from the living room, or from another state while we’re on vacation – this remote access feature is what makes them great for home security.
Devices like smart cameras have been a game-changer when it comes down to security surveillance. With HD quality video feed that is accessible from our smartphones, supporting two-way audio, night vision and alerts upon motion detection users can now always be on the lookout over their property, indoors and outdoors. Smart locks and video doorbells are also great security additions to any household, and most variants can even be interconnected via a central hub.
You may find the following to be great home security alternatives to the usual alarms systems and ordinary surveillance cameras.
- Yale Assure Lock SL $299.00
- Google Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor (BatteryModel) $179.99
- Google Nest Doorbell (WiredModel) $229.00
Convenience
The mere fact that smart devices, which altogether make up a smart home, are remotely and wirelessly accessible means they make convenience an absolute possibility. How smart devices essentially work, in order to provide for this remote access to our smartphones and tablets, is by connecting to a Wi-Fi network in order to be connected to the internet.
Furthermore, with features like voice-enabled control, setting schedules and motion detection being the common ones found in almost all smart devices, these make convenience even easier. Devices can automatically function according to a pre-programmed schedule, shut down as you quite literally tell the device to from across the room, or turn themselves off if there is no movement for a certain amount of time.
What’s The Catch?
But here’s a question, are smart homes and smart devices really all that great? Here are two things you should probably be aware of before making the decision of moving toward adopting a smart home lifestyle.
The Price of Such Devices
You may find that certain smart devices are affordable, and reasonably priced too. But there are other factors that define what is seen as ‘reasonable’. Income plays a big role in defining things that are affordable or reasonably priced for an individual or a household.
Take smart lights for instance. A single Philips Hue Smart Bulb costs around $24.99, while Samsung’s range of Smart Refrigerators ranges from between $1000 to $3000. For a dual-income household or one that earns over a hundred grand a year let’s say, these devices are definitely affordable.
Also Read: Get Latest Mobiles Phones with The Amazing Features
While it is not necessary to have the same kind of smart devices as others in order to have your home qualify as smart home, all you need are a few devices, interconnected and accessible to your smartphones, and there you go! One thing, however, the price may be a factor to consider, but smart devices are essentially considered an investment into your home. They are long-lasting and their features bring about numerous long-term benefits to the household as well.
Internet Connectivity Needed at All Times
By now you probably already understand that in order for smart devices to really do the work they are made for, they must be connected to an internet source at all times. That is because internet connectivity is what allows for them to be accessed remotely and wirelessly, and to be able to carry out their pre-programmed schedules if set.
Having an internet connection that has the right speed and an ample amount of data allowance in order to work seamlessly and simultaneously with other devices connected to it is a crucial aspect of running a smart home. If your internet plan does not support enough data or your router cannot support several devices connected to it, there are bound to be lags and inefficient functioning of anything that’s connected – be it your laptops and TV’s or even other smart devices. We hope this article was a good read on all things that you should expect from having a smart home. If you’re looking to invest in smart home devices in order to convert your ordinary home into the smart home that it can be, head on over to FirstEnergy Home’s website www.firstenrgyhome.com and check out their smart home catalog. It includes anything from smart lights, smart thermostats, smart locks, smart sprinklers. And numerous other smart devices that are accessible from your smartphone.