You might know of Victorian state government incentives to install smart meters on homes? These types of smart meters communicate with the gas/electricity supplier about energy use.
Automation technology like this is now available to everyone. It is affordable, more safe and easy to use. With energy price hikes occurring nationally, the push for renewable energy changing energy demand, and global instability adding further constraints, there are a lot of Australians concerned about energy.
There are a bunch of ways to save on power around the home, while not compromising on safety or security, and we have assembled some home automation ideas to consider.
Examples of smart home technology like smart lighting and smart thermostats help you save money and provide security when you’re away. Other devices – security cameras and garage door controllers offer security for your household as well.
But there is a big movement in home networking devices, and how all these systems can now work together to improve home automation. We recommend approved licensed electricians in any case to ensure wiring is installed correctly, and the entire network runs safely.
SMART LIGHTING –
Smart lighting is a type of lighting that works in conjunction with your needs.
You may already be familiar with dimmer switches and backyard security lights?
Smart globes have features including Bluetooth integration, timers, and multiple colours and hues. Whether its mood lighting for a home cinema, or lighting that switches on at night while you’re away in Bali, you can use your mobile phone to balance power savings with security. The added benefit of smart lighting is the power savings if you forget to turn them off!
SMART THERMOSTATS –
Smart thermostats allow you to control your home heating remotely to turn it on before you get home from work, or keep temperatures cool when your pet is home alone.
These systems give you control over which rooms are heated, which ones you seldom use, and of course – if you’re at work, they go into hibernate mode and use minimal energy throughout the day.
SMART SPEAKERS –
Popular Bluetooth speakers are small, portable and provide excellent sound quality for listening to music indoors and out. These days you can use speaker hubs on a network to pipe multiple music streams to different speakers within your home. Classical for the parents, Beyonce for the kids.
They come in different sizes and colours to match your interior, can be in-wall installed, and they integrate with services like Google Home and Amazon Alexa for ease of voice control too.
Listening to an audio book or podcast is quicker and convenient, and cooking a recipe without handling a cookbook, even more so.
SECURITY CAMERAS –
New technology in security cameras means your family and belongings are even more secure today. Features like two way sound, video analytics and cloud storage mean you can control more of what you want to capture, and what is most important for you to protect your home.
Cameras vary greatly, so deciding whether a thermal imaging camera or one with infrared sensors (IR) matches your needs, will guarantee they run cheaper and more accurately than out of date models.
GARAGE DOOR AUTOMATION –
Garage Door remote controls have the ability to connect to other smart systems in your house, thereby saving you time and money.
You can use your mobile device to automatically control access, and get alerts in case someone tries to break in. These devices are backwards compatible and they will work with existing garage door systems if they are already installed. Its easier when you already have your phone on you.
NETWORK INTEGRATION –
All of these tech devices can be accessed using a mobile phone, laptop or iPad. They integrate with network hubs from various brands, offer cloud storage, and improve efficiency in power savings in addition to providing adaptability to a households needs.
We recommend talking to an electrician and choosing the most complimentary networking system depending on your requirements.
