How to switch to a smart home – one step at a time

A SMART home involves the connection of appliances, devices and systems to the internet, enabling the automation and remote control of things like lighting, temperature and security, says Kandua.com’s Arjun Khoosal.

He advises those concerned about hefty upfront costs to take it one step at a time.

Smart lighting solutions: Most are aware of the energy savings achieved by replacing incandescent lighting with LED bulbs but smart lighting solutions can take this to the next level.

“These systems allow you to adjust \ brightness, turn lights off and on based on time or motion sensors, and even change the colour of lights. You can control everything from your phone or laptop or have things manage themselves by selecting an automated setting.”

Automated temperature control When it comes to keeping your home cosy in winter and cool in summer, he notes combining traditional solutions with new tech reduces reliance on expensive heaters or air conditioners.

“For example, you can install automated window shutters or outdoor pergolas that respond to weather conditions to take advantage of the warming power of the sun and then also seal all the gaps around windows and door frames to make sure you keep the heat in.”

Smart strips Khoosal says a simple way to deal with appliances and devices that continue to draw power even when they are turned off, such as gaming consoles, laptops, TVs, coffee machines and microwaves, is to use a smart power strip. These not only offer remote monitoring and control, and cut off energy supply to specific devices when they go into standby mode, but surge protection too. Water savings If you have an irrigation system, it’s easy to install a timing switch so it automatically goes on and off at set times, giving your garden only as much water as it needs. Inside the home, he says the key is to keep washing machines and dishwashers clean and well maintained or to upgrade to newer, more efficient models. Network connection A good, reliable internet connection is the backbone of any smart home. For larger homes especially, it is more than just plugging in the wi-fi router that your internet service provider supplied.

“You may want to get a pro to set up the network properly, so all your devices work,” Khoosal says.