A 'smart' home

Smart lightning, a smart television, a smart coffee maker, smart window decoration... More and more household appliances are 'smart'. In addition, you've probably heard of a smart home. In this home, devices and accessories are controlled in such a way (in many cases by means of Bluetooth or WiFi) that the convenience for the resident is increased and a possible energy saving can be realized.

A simple example of a smart device that many people already use is the 'smart thermostat'. At the moment, this is already offered by many energy suppliers. With this thermostat you can accurately determine the temperature in your home. Are you in bed at 22.00 hours on weekdays? Then the temperature may drop a few degrees from 21:30. In the morning when you get up, the smart thermostat ensures that your living room is nice and warm again.

Most examples of a smart home consist of controlling equipment by means of a smartphone or smart speaker from well-known brands such as Google, Amazon and Apple. However, your devices are only really smart if they are also connected to each other. The latest developments in the field of smart homes will make it possible in the near future to also leave the individual devices connected to each other. Changes in the weather, for example, can ensure that your air conditioning, lighting, awnings, ventilation and shutters are all jointly controlled and ensure the most comfortable home with a natural eye for energy consumption.

These products are already incredibly smart

In the intro we already mentioned some products of which a smart version is available. The products below are already available on the market and we would like to discuss the most important advantages with you.

Airco

With the hot summers etched in our memory, the number of households with air conditioning is increasing every year. Cooling your home on hot days costs a lot of energy. It is therefore important to use your air conditioning as efficiently as possible. With a smart air conditioning control you can turn your air conditioning on and off when you leave home, or come home. This prevents you from cooling your home at times when nobody needs it. According to climate controller Tado, you can quickly save 40% on energy costs with smart air conditioning control.

Baby monitor

The baby monitor has been an important means of keeping an eye on babies during their sleep for decades. The advent of the smart baby monitor takes baby monitoring to the next level. Did you know that there are baby monitors that detect your baby's movements, measure the temperature in the room and have a talk-back function so you can reassure your baby. In addition, some smart baby monitors allow you to share the images with family or friends.

Kitchen

Kitchen appliances are also on the rise in the world of smart control. The smart oven can be preheated from a distance. Take a recipe from the accompanying app and the oven will choose the correct heating mode. Would you like to drink a cup of coffee straight from your bed? Various coffee machines make it possible to control it from a distance. To prevent you from running out of coffee, some devices also warn you when the coffee cups are running out. The smart fridge is our personal favourite, making shopping lists is no longer necessary. Using the camera and app you can check what's in your fridge at any time!

Smart control of sun protection

Smart control is also an emerging trend in the sun protection industry. Controlling window decoration, roller shutters or sun awnings via a smartphone is not only very handy when you are lying on the couch and watching a movie, but you can also take action more quickly if there is a sudden shower and your awning is still hanging out. The windows of your home are a 'weak spot' when it comes to insulation. In summer, the windows are the place where the heat from outisde enters your house. Setting up week or day programs can therefore contribute enormously to the climate in your home. For example, you can have your sun protection opened or closed at times when you are not able to do it yourself.

If you would like to operate your sun awning, roller shutters or window decoration in a 'smart' way, it is important that you already take this into account when purchasing the product. It goes without saying that manually operated products do not qualify for smart control. But even products with an electirc motor are not standard eligible for smart control.

Smart home and privacy

Technological advances such as 'smart control' usually bring us many benefits. For example, it makes life much easier for us, enables us to act in a more climate-neutral way and saves us a lot of money. As is often the case with technological development, there are also disadvantages. The assignments you give your smart equipment may say a lot about your daily routine, lifestyle, interests, properties, etc... Information that you might not normally share with third parties. If your coffee maker remembers the number of times you use it, you will see little danger in this, and the number of toothbrushes your toothbrush registers will hardly affect your privacy. But do you know what happens to the images of your 'babycam' and which conversations your Google Home registers?