Drayton’s ‘home of the future’ will include self-tinting windows
The nation’s ideal home of the future will include windows that tint automatically in the sun, a heating system which recognises body temperature and lighting which responds to the time of day.
A study of 2,000 adults revealed what people want in their homes in years to come, with 44 per cent demanding more integrated technology.
In particular, many would like to own fingerprint scanning door locks, blinds or curtains which open and close based on the time of the day and a heating system that sends reports on how energy efficient occupants are being.
It also emerged that almost half think it’s important to keep up with the latest smart tech while 39 per cent believe it’s vital to invest in it now so that their homes are ‘future proof’.
The main driving forces behind investing in technology were found to include cost-savings (49 per cent), security and safety (42 per cent) and convenience (34 per cent). But 83 per cent also said sustainability is also important to them.
In the past five years, households have typically bought three smart tech devices, costing an average of £1,345 in total. And this is expected to go up to £1,625 in the next five years when a further four products will be purchased.
More than a quarter of homes already have a smart speaker, while a tenth own a smart doorbell and 13 per cent have thermostats controlled via an app.
In day-to-day life people think smart tech could help with energy usage (47 per cent), home comfort (46 per cent) and personalising the home to suit their needs (33 per cent). This has become a bigger need in 2020, with a third admitting that spending more time in their home has made them think about investing in more technology.
Similarly, half of those polled via OnePoll said the past six months of working from home has made them think about how to improve their abode. Aspects which would improve their office include having better lighting (27 per cent), a dedicated workspace (47 per cent) and being able to control the heating of each room (29 per cent).
Says Natalie Wathan, product manager for heating control company Drayton, which commissioned the study:
“2020 has certainly changed the way we use the home and for many of us more time at home can come with the risk of increased heating and electricity bills.
“Investing in smart technology and developing a tailored approach to how we use each room, such as only heating the rooms we are in or having lights on when they are needed, can help reduce energy use and ultimately achieve cost savings.
“As the trend for working from home shows no signs of slowing down, I think more people will invest in smart appliances.”
Top 20 things people want in the home of the future:
- Windows that tint automatically in the sunshine
- A heating system that adjusts automatically depending on how you use the room and if you are in it
- Walls/doors which can block out the sound from the rest of the house when needed
- A heating system that recognises your body temperature and changes room temperatures accordingly
- Lights that adjust automatically depending on the time of day
- Fingerprint scanning door locks
- Garages that charge your electric car just by parking on a giant pad
- An oven that allows different shelves to be different temperatures at one time
- Heating that recognises when you leave the property and turns off automatically
- A heating system that sends you reports on how energy efficient you are being and offers tips on what you can do to reduce bills
- Blinds or curtains which shut when it’s dark and open when it’s light
- Smart meter that monitors and alerts you and gives you tips on energy usage
- Blinds that close as soon as the sun starts to set and open at sunrise
- A fridge or store cupboard which automatically re-orders your regular shopping items for you
- TVs that recognise who is watching and shows the right programmes
- A coffee machine that has a drink ready as soon as the alarm goes off
- Home cloud to store data on all appliances and their status i.e. are they working or in need of a service
- Front door that automatically sends you a message when your child(ren) get home from school
- Shower heads with in-built Bluetooth to allow phone calls while washing
- A hologram to remind you to do tasks
