With the next generation of 5G around the corner and the internet of things coming down the line the benefits of turning your home into a Smart Home are numerous. Not just because we have more control but also because we can make savings. From cutting down on waste to saving energy, making better use of food to cleaning, greater security and easier communications the home of the future will certainly be a Smart Home. Already many of us benefit from an online home help with Siri, Contana or Alexa that facilitate shopping, entertainment and other domestic functions. The following is a guide to how to make your house a smart house with technology that is already available, or soon to be available.
The smarter kitchen
The smart revolution in the kitchen is already underway. With more and more of us using the internet to do our grocery shopping. Coming down the line however is the intelligent fridge that will let us know when we need to replace our daily staples.
Another kitchen trend that is both practical and smart is the worktop that hides the cooking hob, the extractor or the sink; with a simple press of a button we have extra surface area for food preparation and other cooking related tasks. For urban living where space is a premium the better and more versatile use of every square centimetre counts.
Water saving
The digital tap in the kitchen and the bathroom, the dual flush toilet, and the integration of grey water systems are all examples of how to create a smart house. A house where natural resources are treasured and conserved. A house where recycling and energy conservation also contribute to help saving the planet.
Greater control and comfort
When we think of the practical ways of how to turn your home into a smart home the control of heating thermostats is also a great money saving example. Many companies nowadays sell Apps that provide remote control home heating through the mobile phone. If these programmes also include window shutters and blinds then we can be more effective in saving on heating and air conditioning costs.
In the bathroom we can programme showers to be more responsive to our needs by providing our preferred temperatures more efficiently. Meaning that every family member can decide on the temperature that best suits them, and thus saving on searching for the perfect temperature and wasting water and energy in the process.
Hygiene and cleaning
The robot vacuum cleaner is another popular example of how time saving devices are freeing up our lives for more stimulating activities. Together with the washing machine and dish washer with their array of programmes as well as the other kitchen equipment that can be found in every home nowadays. All the elements necessary to turn your home into a smart home are already in place. The internet of things will very soon simply connect them all together and allow them to communicate with one another.