What is in a smart home? This entirely depends on the user: the number of smart home devices they have connected, the fabrics they have set up and the actions these devices can support. Research conducted by Samsung shows that there continues to be appetite for the smart home: in June 2024, it reported that 79% of people looking to move home in the next five years said they want a smart home; they’re willing to pay a premium of £21,774 on the average UK house price; and 70% said they wanted to improve their energy efficiency using smart technology.
As the number of supported device types is continually expanding within the Matter standard, for the sake of brevity, we’ll be looking at common devices within the smart home, the actions they perform and the advantages they provide.
1. Smart lighting
One of the most common starting points for building a smart home is smart lighting. These systems go beyond remote control, they also allow users to automate their lighting based on schedules, motion detection, or even ambient light levels.
Smart bulbs, such as those from Philips Hue or LIFX, can be adjusted for brightness and colour, creating different atmospheres for different activities. These lights can be controlled through voice commands, smartphone apps, or home hubs.
By reducing unnecessary energy usage, smart lighting also contributes to energy efficiency, making homes more sustainable while offering enhanced control over comfort and style.
2. Smart thermostats
Energy efficiency is a central benefit of smart home technology, with the UK population in particular indicating their own consciousness of their energy use. Smart thermostats are one of the most effective tools for managing energy consumption. Devices such as the Nest Thermostat or Ecobee allow homeowners to control heating and cooling systems from anywhere, using apps or voice commands.
These thermostats learn user preferences over time, automatically adjusting the temperature to maintain comfort while saving energy. Some models use sensors to detect occupancy in rooms, ensuring that energy is not wasted on heating or cooling unoccupied spaces. Others can integrate with weather forecasts to pre-emptively adjust the home’s climate.
3. Smart security systems
Security is often a top priority for homeowners, and smart home technology has improved the way we protect our homes. Smart security systems combine a range of devices such as cameras, motion sensors, door locks, and alarm systems into one platform that can be monitored and controlled remotely.
Smart cameras, like those from Arlo or Ring, allow users to keep an eye on their property in real time through their smartphones. Motion sensors can trigger alerts or initiate recording, while smart locks enable remote access control, allowing homeowners to lock or unlock doors from anywhere in the world.
4. Smart hubs: the ‘control centre’ of the smart home
At the centre of smart home setups is the smart hub – a device that serves as the control centre for all other connected devices. Popular hubs include Amazon Echo, Google Nest Hub, and Apple HomePod. These hubs act as the interface through which homeowners interact with their devices.
Smart hubs support a variety of communication protocols, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Z-Wave, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices. They enable different smart devices to work together harmoniously, providing the user with a seamless smart home experience.
For example, a command to “turn off the lights” can be processed by the hub, which then communicates with the smart bulbs via the appropriate protocol. Additionally, home hubs often integrate with voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, allowing for hands-free control of smart home devices.
Conclusion
As the adoption of smart home devices continues to grow – partly thanks to the unifying Matter standard, which outlines how devices are connected – the possibilities for automating your home, creating convenience and reducing the cost of energy bills is expected to expand further.
