Npower Launches Smart Home Trial

Energy provider npower is launching a new smart home experience that looks to control all the connected products and services in your house using just one app.

The company has teamed up with leading M2M brands such as Nest Labs, Yale and D-link to develop an integrated ‘eco-system’ controlled by a single npower app.

The company will now be trialing the scheme with customers in the West Midlands over the next six months, with a nationwide launch hopefully following soon after.

Reality

The partners signed up by npower mean that smart energy and security will be at the forefront of the new scheme, with D-link’s central hub overseeing the technology.

The trial will see power offering installations of Nest’s third generation Learning Thermostat (pictured left) to help homeowners save energy whilst staying comfortable, alongside Yale’s Keyless and Keyfree smart locks, which can be unlocked from anywhere in the world using an accompanying app, keeping track of all comings and goings through the door.

“The connected home is now on its way to becoming a reality and will have a major impact on the way people use and save energy in the home,” said Neil Pennington, npower’s director of innovation.

“We aim to be at the forefront of smart home technology and this trial will provide valuable data and insight into how consumers actually use home automation systems, and where they see the benefit to their everyday life.”

So-called ‘smart homes’ are becoming increasingly more popular throughout the UK as more and more consumers find out about the benefits connected technology can bring.

A recent survey by GfK found that 91 percent of people said that they were aware of the term ‘smart home’, with two thirds (65 percent) having knowledge about the term and the technology surrounding it, with many highlighting the benefits that connected homes can bring.

And almost half (47 percent) of the respondents said that the technology will have more impact on their lives than wearable devices (31 percent).

A further report from analyst house Juniper predicted that consumer spending on smart homes and their associated products is set to skyrocket and reach $100bn (£65bn) within the next five years, as this growth will push the number of connected appliances in smart homes to over 20 million by 2020.

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