My Smart Home - Why I am making the change to Smart Home Appliances
Imagine controlling your home appliances, lights and security from your smartphone, no matter where you are. Well, it turns out you can and with Smart Home Technology being available in New Zealand and being relatively simple and affordable to use, I have decided to make the change. I first discovered Smart Home appliances when I walked into my local Noel Leeming to purchase my LG 4K UHD Smart LED TV. Noel Leeming boasted a full range of Smart Home devices from lighting systems to Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi Plugs and more. I could simply see myself turning on my bedside lamps on the taxi ride home on a winters night and thought Yes Please!
So what is a smart home?
A Smart home is the use of Wi-Fi enabled smart devices and products and connecting them to your home Wi-Fi network. Once a device is connected to your Wi-Fi, you can access and control it remotely via an app on your smartphone or tablet thus making it smart. This makes it possible to control your home lighting, security and appliances from anywhere in the world over the internet.
Why Smart Home:
Security - Not only can you buy security cameras (probably a little overkill for my apartment) but smart home devices allow you to control your home remotely. So if I am worried someone might suspect I am on holiday, I can turn my entry or deck lights on with a click of a button from Paris or wherever I may be. This is a great safety feature which helps it look like someone is home.
Save Energy - Just like I can turn my lights on remotely I can also turn them off. So if I have rushed to the office and then at 9 am realised I left all the lights on then no problem. Ultimately it should mean that I have total control over my lights when they are on and manage my energy use better. I hope it means I use less energy.
It can save you money - A smart home can turn back those automatic heaters when you’re away on vacation or can turn lights off automatically, too. Over time, you may save a surprising amount of heating, cooling, and electricity costs.
It could be Convenient - I love the idea of turning my electric blanket on, while en route to the club, or double checking my hair straightener is turned off.
There are possible health benefits - The Philips Hue system is a prime example of this, allowing you to create many different environments. For example, you can use the lights as an alarm, so you wake up with a soft, warm glow.
Finally, talk about fun! With the Philips Hue system, you can colour your room or have the lights change to match your favourite tunes. I am Young, Modern, and this is likely the way forward.
Sooner or later we will all be living like the Jetsons, but I plan on making that change now. Follow along with the blog for more posts about my smart home.
