Convince me - Why should i go smart?

[Derek W]

Hi all,

I'm about to do some redecorating / home upgrades (boiler is 30+ yrs old) and smoke detection system needing to be upgraded by Feb 2021.

Should i be using this upgrade time to make my house smart? Maybe not for myself but for any future owner?

Smart Meter - first touted as a way to reduce your utility bills - not entirely sure how seeing what you're spending per day will alter your usage habits? My general rule of thumb is you spend less during the summer and more in the winter so overall things balance out and have budgeted accordingly! However, the latest adverts for smart meters imply its not for the end user rather the companies so they can monitor better when demand for electric will go up more accurately. (not a vital upgrade as my boiler is so old, possible compatibility issues?)

Nest / Hive / Alternative - Only use heating when you need it. My current routine doesn't involve being away from home for any length of time and my heating will kick in first thing in the morning for when i get up and half an hour prior to me arriving home. No big hassle for me to get off my arse to give the system a boost when i need to. I spend a number of weekends away so only really one day where I'm heating an empty house every so often. (possible saving)

Smart bulbs - people too lazy to get up to turn a light on?

Amazon echo / Google Home / alternative - Just why!

Any other smart stuff that i should know about and why should i get it?

Any advice welcomed.

 

[Pho]

Smart Meter - first touted as a way to reduce your utility bills - not entirely sure how seeing what you're spending per day will alter your usage habits? My general rule of thumb is you spend less during the summer and more in the winter so overall things balance out and have budgeted accordingly! However, the latest adverts for smart meters imply its not for the end user rather the companies so they can monitor better when demand for electric will go up more accurately. (not a vital upgrade as my boiler is so old, possible compatibility issues?)

I think the benefit of smart meters are more that you glance over at the current usage value and question it. E.g., if your house "idles" around 100w and you go to leave for work and notice it's sat at 700w you'll go and hunt for what you might have left turned on. Similarly you'll start then questionning why your house idles at 100w and go and try and reduce it. That's the benefit to me.

Nest / Hive / Alternative - Only use heating when you need it. My current routine doesn't involve being away from home for any length of time and my heating will kick in first thing in the morning for when i get up and half an hour prior to me arriving home. No big hassle for me to get off my arse to give the system a boost when i need to. I spend a number of weekends away so only really one day where I'm heating an empty house every so often. (possible saving)

I've been looking into these recently. I prefer the idea of Tado with its smart TRVs. This lets you remotely control individual radiator temperatures. E.g., in the morning you could schedule your routine to turn the heating on and only turn on the radiators in the rooms you'll be using rather than the whole house - perhaps you'll set the kitchen to 20c but the bathroom to 15c knowing you'll be in/out pretty sharpish. Nest can't do that I don't believe.

Smart bulbs - people too lazy to get up to turn a light on?

I bought smart bulbs because I wanted to dim lots of lights in a room individually. Putting in dimmer switches to do that would be unfeasable. I can also use them to have blue light during the day and warm light during the night. I like having the choice of lots of colour options, but I mostly just use the shades of white it gives.

I also like the idea of syncing your PC / TV etc to your Hue set-up to give you light immersion during gaming/films. I really think proper surround-sound lighting will become a thing in the future, where films encode light colour/brightness sequences. There's lots of free software that to do this already without anything special though. The software basically just reads the colours on the screen and adjusts the lights to match in real time. This is commercial box you plug your HDMI leads into and it does the rest without the need for a PC but it's the same idea:

Amazon echo / Google Home / alternative - Just why!

I like the thought of them but for the most part I can just use "OK Google" on my phone to achieve the same effect. I can see it working in a house with lots of people in though, or using them as intercoms etc.

 

[notxn85]

I have a similar situation with an old house I am renovating and do intend to move again in a few years.
I have a smart meter - we used the display for a few weeks when we first had it fitted but basically it only does what you can do with a tiny bit of thought.
There are some useful smart gadgets that do things that it are either hard or fiddly to do by hand, but when you add up the cost of many that "save energy" the sums do not add up, the amount saved would take years to cover the cost.
The controlled TVRs might be an example - do you always close every door in the house? - if not turning a radiator down won't save much, but if the doors are kept closed this could well pay for itself in a few years - or decades.
Perhaps it is because I am 70 and have an old-timers viewpoint, including a desire to keep as active as possible for as long a I can, but I like moving about a bit and having apps that I can use to turn everything on and off while I sit on the couch does not appeal to me at all.
I do like heating zones but the timing is usually pretty constant in a normal household so programmable thermostats for the zones are good. How many people really need to alter the timing on the way home from work, or to check on the washing machine while sitting in the train?
I do like modern lighting and like the ability to control more than just brightness.
I think a security system would be handy where I can see my dogs nicking stuff from the kitchen and tell them off when I am out of the house would be a great idea.
However I expect my views will change a lot as I get less mobile.

 

[Derek W]

Thanks for this. I'll look further into the benefits that can be had and see if it's worthwhile at this time.

 

[SimonR]

Smart homes are or should be about lifestyle, comfort and convenience. I think that if they don’t deliver on this then the brief has been missed and serve no purpose other than e-peening to guests.

 

[bloodiedathame]

Smart things I have currently:

Smart heating, Tado, uses geofencing so won't put on the heating or hot water if we're out. Can switch it on remotely if we want to.

Amazon echo, mainly used for the radio and as a shopping list note taker.

Smart plug, I've got one set up to turn on and off two lamps which are a fiddle to do individually because the switch it's always hiding down the sides of the sofa.

I might go for a smart meter if I can have an eco tariff and charge my EV cheaply over night. My current energy provider had loads of problems with them though.

 

[Begbie]

Got a google thing in the kitchen, it's handy for timers and the news in the morning.

It also turns my coffee machine on in the morning, as it needs to warm up. I have a smart plug into the lamp in my bedroom, which is great for a wakeup call!

 

[adwol48]

So smart wise my house currently has

Nest thermostat, my boiler runs off heating oil so its actually quite easy for me to get a grip on how much oil moving to a smart thermostat has helped me save. firstly I moved from a system that only had a timer function with no room thermostat at all the rads had trv's fitted but the house never felt warm to me (4 bed detached) after fitting the nest it gave me far more control over the heating it actually allowed us to have the house warm as we woke up thanks to its preheating function and it will vary this according to outside weather it learns how quickly the main room gets to temp and if the outisde is cold it will preheat for longer but if its warmer outside it obviously takes a shorter time and it will adjust this over time, this function alone has saved us a lot of oil. It has the away function so wont turn the heating on if you arent at home which is fairly standard. Out of all the gadgets I buy this one has the wifes seal of approval and thats saying something.

Smart Bulbs, these are a bit marmite I can see why some people have no need for them at all and if you dont have echo/google home they are pretty useless, I actually have one in a outside wall light i often come home late at night for work and its set to geolocate me and will switch on when I reach a certain radius of my home which is very handy as the wife often use to forget to turn it on.

Amazon echo again marmite for some people I personally use mine a lot I have like 4 in my house they have a range of functions from music to actually making phone calls for me via vodafone as my accounts are linked. the wife uses the one in the kitchen along with the echo clock for timers when cooking and she often uses the drop in feature to summon me from the garage.

smart plugs I have two they are on floor lamps and becasue of the location of these lamps its not easy to access the power switch so having the smart plugs allows us to use them effectively

Smart meter I've had two, they do help identify massive power draws in the house I think their main aim is to show how much each items uses than actually being an effective tool to reduce use, mine has a budget set which in winter i go over every day thanks to tumble dryers etc in summer it always under.

Smart doorbell, have a ring 2 setup with a solar panel an example today is we where out with the kids the doorbell rings wife answer the notifaction on my phone tells the driver a safe place to leave the parcel, we dont miss the delivery and they also provide a means to monitor your property from intruders as I have already caught someone trying the door handles of my cars the front door and the garage doors all this video was then passed onto the police as it captured his face quite clearly

All in all smart devices are usefull but more so than others my must have lists are the smart thermostat and the echos they have just become a normal part of everyday life.

 

[garnett]

Smart bulbs - people too lazy to get up to turn a light on?

Amazon echo / Google Home / alternative - Just why!

I bought a rake of echos, smart bulbs and sockets and personally I agree with your premise. The tech's just not quite there.

The hub software is clunky and awkward to set-up and to change.

It requires everyone to get on board (and doesn't fare well where a wife goes around switching off the bulbs with the light-switches. She also hates Alexa with a passion, but I think that's her fiery temperament and female jealousy more than anything)

There's no robust and simple person-tracking system at present - so that lights switch on when people enter rooms etc.

I suspect the tech is going to go through step-change in usability in the next 12 months - probably with a different player entering the market.

I'd hold fire and wait.

 

[wesimmo]

It's quite useful for certain things.

I like routines that switch everything off at say 1am.

Also we enter the house through the garage, the light switch is at the far end to the front door, so being able to switch lights on from outside is quite useful.

One thing I've found though is that you need smart switches on the wall to make it really useful, otherwise if you rely on apps people just use the normal switches and ruin the smart element.

 

[Pho]

The hub software is clunky and awkward to set-up and to change.

There's no robust and simple person-tracking system at present - so that lights switch on when people enter rooms etc.

Did you go for Hue or another brand? There's tonnes of Hue apps out there. I use Hue Essentials, it's better than the official app. If your lights are Zigbee chances are you can get buy a Hue bridge and join use them and make use of the platform.

Hue also has motion motion trackers you can place in rooms to auto turn on lights. I'm hoping they go on offer during black Friday - they often do three-for-two deals. You'd be silly to buy at full price.

One thing I've found though is that you need smart switches on the wall to make it really useful, otherwise if you rely on apps people just use the normal switches and ruin the smart element.

Ah, another benefit of smart switches is because they're wireless and talk to the Hub/light directly you don't need to bother chasing any wiring down the walls from a light fitting to a switch which is great if you're kitting out a new room or something. Probably pays for its-self if you were paying someone to do that.

The fact you can pull them off the wall (they're magnetic) and leave it on the coffee table / lose it in the sofa is handy too

 

[Tinders]

Coming from someone who works in the heating industry, i simply dont see the point of Hive/Nest or even remote TVR's. There are many other things that make your system much more efficient, especially on older houses.

Looking forward, as boiler turndown increases, opentherm control will be the one that will give optimal control.

Lighting is expensive right now, its not worth the investment. The echo has replaced my alarm clock and radio, so it has a benefit, and they arent expensive so no biggie.

 

[200sols]

You shouldn't

/thread

 

[sovietspybob]

I only have a 'smart' thermostat as it came fitted with my boiler, it's the Worcester wave and it's pretty rubbish compared to the bigger players like Nest or whoever.

I do find that quite handy though, i've got the heating following a basic program but being able to over ride it while in bed so it's nice and warm when you get up is rather nice. Same for easily being able to set a holiday mode or turn it on for the day if you're at home for some reason when you'd normally be at work.

Can't say i see the point in much of the other stuff, how do people deal with the smart lightbulbs if you live in a house with several people and kids? Do they all have to use an app to turn the lights on with their respective phones? What if you've left the grandparents babysitting who don't have a smartphone?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Smart Meters - IMO pointless unless your bills are huge. Then probably worth getting to see what is draining all that power.

Smart thermostat - Won't really save you money it's more about convenience and comfort. I would buy one in a heartbeat. People always ask what is that and then it's a talking point and they are usually impressed. I went with NEST and I would do so again. I have found the home/away assist to be crap though. I leave it off and now just have a schedule setup. 20C at 7:30AM. 10C at 8:30AM (basically off). 19C at 5PM then 16C at 10PM. If I'm going to be away from home I then manually set it to away then the heating will remain off whilst I'm away or until I say I'm home again. So when I'm on my way back half an hour before I arrive I will turn it back on.

Smoke / Carbon Monoxide - Smart. I went with NEST. If A fire started in my home I'd be pinged on my phone anywhere in the world. They integrate well with the NEST app and I would buy again they have other useful features and last 10 years. Pathlight is useful in the evenings when you get up in the dark.

Smart Plugs - A god send for setting up schedules. I have grow lights which come on every day at sunrise and then off at sunset. Keeps my plants all happy. I also have a very big subwoofer in my home cinema system. It's hard to get to the switch well it's annoying reall having to turn it on by hand when I already have 2-3 remotes to use (SKy, TV, AVR). So now I say Alexa turn the subwoofer on and it switches the smart plug on. When I'm done I say Alexa turn the subwoofer off and it goes off. I would buy again for these niche uses. I wouldn't buy it for a lamp or anything mundane like others do though.

Smart Bulbs - I have 2 for security reasons. When I'm away on holiday they will come on and go off randomly or to a set schedule. It makes it look like someone is home. I wouldn't just put them in every room or use them for coloured lighting, etc. I have 2 and that is plenty I won't be buying any more.

Smart Speakers - I have 3. 2 of them are mainly for my Nest Doorbell. So when someone rings the doorbell it goes off on all connected phones and on both the Google mini speakers. I have a Nest Hub Max in the kitchen for recipes, youtube videos, music and viewing who is at the doorbell. I can also use these to control my smart plugs, smart bulbs, smart thermostat, etc. Everything is connected. I would buy them again.

Smart doorbell - The best thing ever. I haven't been to my royal mail depot in 3 months now. I used to go 2-3 times per week. It's also an amazing security device. I know every single person that has approached my door. I tell all drivers to leave parcels in a specified place, etc. To sign for the parcel themselves. I also have another 4 cameras covering the property but this is the best one. I would buy this again in a heartbeat.

Smart TV's - speak for themselves they are well worth it. Integrated 4K HDR / Dolby Vision Netflix, etc.

 

[Yaayuh!]

My house is relatively dumb. I have some smart plugs on the lamps, brilliant for timer/schedules and some wireless speakers in the kitchen and dining room, great for dinner guests and just general usage.

What's on my smart to-do list:

• Smoke & CO detector (maybe)
• Thermostat (maybe). Don't really see the need, I have a decent schedule set on my current janky-ass thermostat, but will likely be included when my boiler goes pop (imminent). So long as it's better than what I currently have.

I am sceptical of the security and data usage of smart/IoT devices as well as "Big Data" companies, so other than the Smoke & CO detector and my CCTV, the devices are local/closed network only.

Smart homes are or should be about lifestyle, comfort and convenience. I think that if they don’t deliver on this then the brief has been missed and serve no purpose other than e-peening to guests.

Indeed.

 

[AHarvey]

You shouldn't

/thread

As someone that loves tech I have to agree. I really do not understand the need.

I have considered building a smart mirror for the lounge purely to help the wife remember things for school/that day etc while she's getting ready but other than that, I just see a lot of it as a security risk.

 

[Seearbe]

An echo in the kitchen is well worth it if you ask me. Whilst cooking I can get things put into a shopping list, set multiple named timers so I know when to pull the meat out without upsetting the timing on the yorkie puds, convert measurements etc, all whilst listening to music.

The rest of the smart home is all about usage case. If things work for you, there's nothing to fix.

My house:
2 x echo
2 x echo dot
Honeywell Evohome (no heating in the guest wing until we need it)
2 x cheap smart plugs from Amazon that work a treat (cheaper and more reliable than a simple timer on the lamp)

Adding:
Alarm (once I've replaced the windows and doors)
Some cameras at some stage

 

[rhysduck]

I don't think you need convincing, you sound like you've already made your mind up and are against most things "smart".

 

[Psycho Sonny]

As someone that loves tech I have to agree. I really do not understand the need.

I have considered building a smart mirror for the lounge purely to help the wife remember things for school/that day etc while she's getting ready but other than that, I just see a lot of it as a security risk.

I wouldn't be without a smart doorbell now and I've only had mine like 3-4 months.

Smart Alarm same. Wouldn't be without one.

The others I could probably live without but they are a lot more convenient.