New research has suggested that UK homeowners have pinpointed home security as a top priority when exploring the prospect of investing in smart technology. The research which was conducted by One-Poll suggests that the demand for home security products and solutions will kick-start the 'smart home' revolution in the UK.
37% of participants in the survey said they would invest in smart security systems if it was cost effective and affordable for them to do so. That represented a significantly higher percentage when compared to other products in the smart home sector. For example, just 12% expressed an interest in virtual assistants, whilst only 18% of respondents were interested in purchasing robot lawnmowers.
However, 29% said they would consider purchasing a smart thermostat and unsurprisingly smart TVs lead the smart home sector in terms of sales, with 39% conceding they already owned one, and an additional 15% of participants in the survey said they were planning on acquiring a smart TV in the next twelve months.
Group Brand Director at AO.com, Andrew Kirkcaldy claimed that the smart home revolution has already commenced in the UK, but that it has gone unnoticed, and added that innovate smart home technology will significantly reduce the cost of running a home in the long-term. He said: "The research suggests that the Smart Home revolution has already started with Smart TV's and audio, and we haven't even noticed it. For many homes, smart home security and heating will take this technology out of the living room, leading to a Smart Home that will help save us money and time, while making our lives easier."
Interestingly, of the 2,000 surveyed, 68% conceded that there were universal benefits in owning smart home technology with both convenience and saving time citied as the main factors for purchasing the products and solutions. In addition to this, 18-24 year-olds believe it can improve the lives of elderly people and all respondents expressed a belief that it will reduce costs.
In terms of what parts of the UK is more receptive to this new technology, London leads the way with 9.4% of those surveyed already owning smart home technology. However, at the other end of the scale Northern Ireland seem to be reluctant to embrace these new innovative products with just 4.8% of those surveyed confirmed they owned smart tech products.