There will be over 6 million UK smart homes by 2030. How do we feel about smart tech at home?

You’re awoken by your bedroom blinds smoothly rising, perfectly synced to your wake-up time.

You sit up, stretch, and with a clap of your hands, the bedroom lights turn on.

Out of bed, the underfloor heating is prepared for your waking at the perfect temperature.

‘Alexa, what’s in the news?’ you ask. Time to wake up and start your day.

In less than a minute and with minimal effort on your part, technology has automated your morning routine, taking control of everything from menial household tasks to more complex pursuits like reading the news.

Does your morning routine look like this? If it doesn’t already, it could soon…

IoT connected devices to triple by 2030

Just ten years ago, around 8.7 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices existed worldwide. In 2021, this has increased to over 27 billion.

It’s forecasted that by 2030, this will triple from 2021 quantities to over 100 billion devices globally, including:

• 19.11 billion smartphones
• 156 million Google home devices
• 777 million smart homes
• An average of 150 connected devices per household!

In total, it’s projected there will be 6.66 million UK smart homes by 2030.

Billions of connected IoT devices are on the horizon

The growing presence of smart technology in the home is revolutionary. Gone are the days of excessive household energy bills: smart home thermostats keep energy usage and spending to a minimum. Controlling all your smart home devices from one interface offers immeasurable time-saving convenience. And smart home security and surveillance advancements mean you can always sleep soundly in the knowledge that you, your family and your possessions are safe.

We conducted a survey to discover how Brits feel about IoT devices in the home, including smart home safety, security and privacy.

Our biggest smart home device concern is being listened to — but the benefits of listening features outweigh the costs

We’ve all been there: a conversation about cat food, then ten minutes later, a Whiskas ad pops up on our phone. It’s moments like this that cause two-thirds of our survey participants to say their primary concern around smart home devices is being listened to.

Despite this, we still don’t turn smart home device listening off: only 45% of us think about disabling listening features on our devices. For most of us, the benefits — such as on-command weather updates, music, heating controls, lighting and more — outweigh the concerns when it comes to listening features on devices.

We feel safer with smart security and surveillance

One of the main benefits of smart home technology is that we feel safer and more secure. Over half of our survey respondents said they feel safer with smart home security technology. Motion detectors, contact sensors and security cameras link to apps that immediately alert you when there’s an intruder so that you can immediately alert the police and respond to the situation, protecting the safety of your family and your possessions.

IoT technology is fast becoming an important feature when considering a new home

38% of our poll respondents said integrated smart home technology is now a selling point when choosing a new home. Considering that IoT home features are a relatively new technology, this is a considerable leap in homebuyer prioritisation of smart home tech. And as such technology becomes more prominent in our lives, the importance of smart home features for property purchasing decision-making is likely only to increase.

This is especially true in the age of agile working, with more and more people working from home and companies offering hybrid working options.

“If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that the home has become more than just a place to live. The home has become a primary place to work for many, and therefore, we need to ensure properties can support this new hybrid world. At Southmere in Thamesmead, homes benefit from Virgin & BT fibre optic data points to provide super-fast connections needed when working from home and for home entertaining.

“Many of Peabody’s other developments also include perks for tech-savvy residents. Homes at Southwark’s Lazenby Square include smart meters and built-in Sonos audio sound systems with speakers to multiple rooms, while Motion in Waltham Forest previously offered E-bike incentives to make the most of its placement close to the Mini-Holland cycle paths!”
– David Slade, Head of Digital Marketing at Peabody

Overall opinion of smart home devices is positive

Weighing up the pros and cons, 82% of us believe smart home devices are more of a positive than a negative. For the vast majority, the benefits of IoT devices in terms of convenience, security and saving money outweigh any concerns. Smart homes are here to stay, and IoT functionality is set to permeate more and more aspects of our lives. As a result, many new-build homes, including those available through the Shared Ownership and Help to Buy schemes, now include smart devices.

“With smart devices becoming more and more popular in the home, it’s important to shape new build properties to suit current lifestyles. We’re currently marketing Clapham House, where smart home features have been a great draw for first time buyers with busy lives. The Virtual Concierge and Apple Home are just a few of these features that demonstrate how carefully our buyers’ modern lives have been considered in the careful development design.”
– Peter Gibney, Director at JLL

Find your new smart home today!

Share to Buy is a one-stop-shop for first time buyers, offering the nation’s largest listing of Shared Ownership and Help to Buy homes. In addition to extensive property listings across the country, Share to Buy offers a range of digital tools to help potential purchasers, including jargon-busting videos and interactive tools such as affordability and mortgage calculators.

Share to Buy makes it easy to discover Shared Ownership and Help to Buy properties across the UK. Search our portal for your next home today!

Method
Survey results were gathered via a poll on Share to Buy’s Instagram story.