How "Smart" is your home?

[Robster59]

We all know the world is changing and we are all inundated with "Smart this" and "Smart that" but I wondered how many on here are embracing this.
Despite my more advanced years (I have to scroll a LOT to get down to my year of birth on some websites), I have tried to smart my home in certain areas.

• Outside the house
  • Eufy security cameras and doorbells linked to a Homebase in the house to record everything to a hard drive and can be viewed via their app.
  • TP Link Smart bulb for the porch light.
• Inside the house
  • Sky Q with additional boxes in the bedroom and kitchen.
  • Google Home smart speakers dotted around the house.
  • TP Link Whole Home mesh Wifi to get a good signal throughout the house.
  • TP Link Kasa/Tapo smart switches to control various devices throughout the house.
  • TP Link bulbs for some of the lights in the house.
  • TP Link Camera for keeping an eye on the dog when we're out.
  • Smart meter for the gas and electricity.

So we can now go around the house going "OK Google" play this, what is the weather, set an alarm for, switch on this, switch off that, etc. The lights and TV's are switched off automatically at night and back on again in the morning on a timer to save electricity (I know the plugs use electricity, but less that a TV on standby).

I know you can do a lot of this by simply flicking a switch, but it is amazing how quickly you can get used to it and, despite her lack of technical savvy, my missus embraces it.

 

[Imurg]

As thick as the bricks it's made from.......

 

[D-S]

We have Hive which controls heating and water online. Linked to this all our lights downstairs are controlled via smart bulbs using Alexa to control them as well as schedules and motion detectors for some areas. Some devices are controlled via smart plugs.We have got used to saying ‘switch on living room lights’ or kitchen lights. As we got to bed simply saying ‘Alexa goodnight’ turns off all the downstairs lights, hallway and landing lights are motion detected.
Very simple to install, would be a minor hassle to go back.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As thick as the bricks it's made from.......

You've me the wife then

 

[Neilds]

Nothing at all (unless you count Sky Glass). Even our Hive thermostat is only used as a standard thermostat as we haven't paid for the subscription since we moved in. Never use Siri on my phone either.
Whilst I can still stand up to flick a switch, I suspect this will always be the case.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Coincidentally…Just less than an hour ago when emptying a drawer of the lounge cabinet in my MiLs, I found a June 1984 copy of the Readers Digest magazine.

Flicking through it to try and work out why she kept it (I didn’t manage to do that) I am very struck at what is advertised - and indeed how much advertising there is in it. Despite my remembering very clearly what I was doing in 1984 it is amazing how dated what was ordinary then now seems. Plus of course those things that @Robster59 has posted about would seem practically, if not actually, inconceivable back then…and I remember back then.

Blimey…so much has changed in the 40yrs from then to now.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Not very , struggles with its 7 times tables

 

[SatchFan]

I've got a smart plug somewhere.

 

[clubchamp98]

We had a smart meter that didn’t work.
That’s it.
I just use the switches to turn thing on and turn them off when finished.

 

[Hobbit]

A smart TV. God knows how Mrs H will cope with it when I’m gone.

 

[RichA]

Nothing at all (unless you count Sky Glass). Even our Hive thermostat is only used as a standard thermostat as we haven't paid for the subscription since we moved in. Never use Siri on my phone either.
Whilst I can still stand up to flick a switch, I suspect this will always be the case.

We've got Hive. Not sure what the subscription is that you mention. I've got full functionality in the app and it doesn't cost anything.

 

[jim8flog]

There is only one thing that is smart in my house and that is me, although some days I am not so sure.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We have Hive for the heating, it's great (like @RichA we don't pay extra for that).

That's largely it. We have 2 x Alexa but they are used as speakers, they don't do anything else.

Connecting lights etc might be fun but I don't care enough to do it. If we have another lockdown and I'm bored ...........

 

[Neilds]

We've got Hive. Not sure what the subscription is that you mention. I've got full functionality in the app and it doesn't cost anything.

Looks like there is a subscription which gives things like a budget tracker so possibly doesn't affect the heating aspect. That said, we just set the control to the temperature we want and just leave it

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Only a smets2 for leccy and gas, and that seems to have decided to not bother now.
I dont have or want anything else, the house is more securee without it all.

 

[Beezerk]

We have Hive and a Ring door bell both of which are great, I also have a Wimm music streamer linked to my hifi/wifi which is very handy for blasting out tunes.
That reminds me, i need to buy another Amazon Dot for the living room

 

[arnieboy]

We have smart meters for the gas and electricity, a smart tv that I can only just understand and two alexa things that my wife uses to get notifications about her Amazon purchases. My bil however has every gizmo under the sun!

 

[PaulMdj]

Smart meter for Gas & Elec, Ring doorbell and cameras, Alexa’s, which are connected to the bedroom lamp via 1 smart plug, a legacy from when we were taking care of the terminally ill M-in-Law and she could control it during the night.

 

[PJ87]

Very.

Walk into the house past 3 ring cameras.. into the hall. Disable the ring alarm (either via app or phone) then Alexa takes over.

Due to rules set up when my alarm turns off the downstairs lights come on in my house (hue bulbs)

TV can be turned on and off via voice command. Very useful when the kids have hidden the remote and you want the TV off.

Our phones control the most , smart life app links auto routines and manual commands mean the dehumidifier comes on few hours a day. Air conditioners turn on via voice or app (remote aswell if you want)

Hive controls the heating but each radiator has tp link smart valves on times zones

Tesla battery manages the power .. programed to fill up cheap overnight and run the house all day topped up by solar

Tp link baby cams in the kids rooms

When we go bed or out we set the alarm via the phone and the lights all go off

Washing and tumble tell us via phone when their done, helpful but not vital however washing machine you can do smart washing (pick programs on phone and send to machine) don't bother tho

Ohme controls the home charger for the car to charge when octopus wants the car to so they give me even more cheap energy

Think that's everything

 

[VVega]

Have quite a few bits, including running a HomeAssistant server, MQTT server, Zigbee coordinator etc. managing corresponding devices.

None of the stuff that requires a subscription.

AMA