The report has found that consumers are now more knowledgeable about smart homes than in the previous two years, with more than a third of consumers feeling like they know a lot/a fair amount about smart home technology. Interestingly, as knowledge increases overall, appeal is slightly lower than in 2018, with the exception for smart appliances.
The slight increase in appeal of smart appliances is thought to be connected to the modest growth in ownership of smart appliances - where the survey found owners are extremely positive.
Ownership has increased in each of the top 10 product categories for all age groups in comparison to 2018. Three out of five consumers now own at least one smart home device and the 25 to 44 age group own the most connected home products.
Top drivers for adoption are confidence that consumers can now use new smart home devices and the expectation that there will be some level of interoperability. What is putting them off smart home technology are concerns about privacy and security, and a lack of knowledge is another primary barrier to take up.
The research also explored if consumers are willing to pay more once they have realised the benefits of “smart”. 52 per cent of people would pay more for a smart product which improves their home security and 12 per cent of people would pay a premium for a smart product that accurately monitors their health.
The report also showed that 64 per cent of owners control their smart energy and lighting devices via their smartphone, while 32 per cent use a smart speaker.
Commenting on the report, Teodora Kaneva, Programme Manager, SmarterUK, said, “The connected home market is developing rapidly; this is primarily driven by innovation in the industry. We see a huge appetite for smart home technology to, not only provide comfort and safety, but also to reduce household bills and allow consumers to interact with the ecosystem. The increase smart home device usage will also allow the energy, automobile, and connectivity providers to further innovate and work with Government to tackle key environmental challenges.”
The full report can be accessed at the techUK website..
https://www.techuk.org/focus/programmes/smarter-uk