How to Live Life in the Smart Lane
35Presented by Enercare
Can’t remember if you locked the door before you left? Not sure if you turned off the water valve after you’ve already boarded your flight? Want to see who’s at the front door while tending to the needs of a very energetic toddler? No problem. Just check your smart home app.
These days, keeping your home secure and energy efficient is as easy as scrolling through your newsfeed or checking your email. You don’t need a self-proclaimed geek in the family to know what to do.
One of the most important devices you’ll need is a smart home hub, something that can connect all your devices to one system. Its technology allows you to gain insights, so you can adjust settings based on your family’s habits. For example, if you find that someone in the house tends to forget to turn off all the lights before they walk out the door, simply enable Geo-Fencing, a program that automatically does it for you when your mobile device leaves the house, and voila! Problem solved. It’s the kind of solution that changes your quality of life for the better without changing the way you live.
Here’s a question. If you’re at work, the kids are at school and no one is home most of the time, why are you keeping your house at the perfect temperature all day, every day of the week? By installing a smart thermostat, you can turn down the heat or turn off the air conditioner from wherever you are and reactivate them on your way home. Or if they’re old enough, your kids can share the responsibility as smart home apps are meant to be installed on more than one device. After a month or two, we have a feeling you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of energy you’ll have saved. For those who want to keep an extra close eye on things, adding a smart temperature sensor will tell you if and/or when your house is losing heat because of a drafty window or burning energy because of an appliance with a leaky seal (i.e. your basement freezer). You’ll never have to hunt down which corner of the house is leaking money again.
Speaking of leaking. As a homeowner, one of your worst nightmares is probably … a puddle. Silly to read on paper, horrifying to see in person. With a smart water leak sensor, you give yourself a chance to do something about it before it wreaks havoc on your hardwood floors, plush carpets, tiles, and electric wires. Because while a puddle is damaging, a flood is much worse. The best places to put these sensors are near water heaters as they can store up to 60 gallons of water at a time; out of sight, but never out of mind.
Ding dong! Someone’s at the door. But who? Friend or foe? The groceries you ordered yesterday or vacuum salesperson with a very long sales pitch? A smart video doorbell allows you to find out without having to carefully, and somewhat creepily, peer through the blinds or look through a completely transparent eyehole. A smart video doorbell can reveal who it is even if you’re not at home as the feed is accessible through a mobile app. The only downside? It would be super easy for you to discover your secret admirer’s identity if they were to ever leave a bouquet and chocolates at the door. Unfortunately, romantic mysteries are a thing of the past. But you’d make that trade any day if it means knowing whether you should come to the door or continue binge-watching your favourite reality show, right?
The best deterrence against breaking and entering is the feeling that someone is watching. So, the most effective system you can set up is a smart home outdoor camera. One by the front door and one by the backyard, and immediately your house looks like way more trouble, from a burglar’s point of view. Additionally, a smart camera is extremely useful for checking in on your kids when they’re playing outside while you’re working or cooking. And when combined with a smart door lock, if someone you know were to drop by for a social call armed with a case of beer or box of cupcakes, you can let them in even if you’re in the middle of something, like tidying things up last minute.
Want to upgrade to a more comfortable and efficient lifestyle? With a Smarter Home Package from Enercare, you can get all your smart home devices professionally installed without any hassle. Get real-time notifications, remote access, and the ability to customize your home automation settings within days. Worry-free living starts today.
