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SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Smart homes that consumers actually want

Sep 16, 2014, 6:59 AM | Updated: Mar 4, 2016, 5:47 am

The nation’s interest for smart home technology is growing, with more home owners seeking greater control of their home’s appliances, lighting, and systems.

More than 70 percent of about 2,000 adults recently surveyed say they wish they could just control something in their home from their mobile device, according to Lowe’s 2014 Smart Home Survey.

What do they most want to be able to do? The survey showed respondents wanted to be able to adjust the thermostat, turn on the lights, or start the coffee pot before they get out of bed.

Besides added convenience, 40 percent of adults surveyed say they believe a smarter home would help them trim costs and save money on their utility bills. Sixty-two percent said they find smart home systems are most beneficial for monitoring safety and security.

So with the technology pool in the smart home arena ever-expanding, what’s holding back adoption rates? The top considerations holding back respondents from purchasing such products were cost or fees (56 percent); ease of use (13 percent), and security (11 percent). Americans are more than twice as likely to prefer a do-it-yourself solution, without a monthly fee, over a professionally installed/monitored system with a monthly service fee, according to the survey.

“In general, Americans feel positively toward products that will make their homes safer, more energy efficient, and easier to manage,” said Kevin Meagher, Lowe’s vice president and general manager of Smart Home. “People want do-it-yourself solutions that are simple and affordable.”

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Smart homes that consumers actually want