According to a report by Insure4Retirement insurance companies will soon be rewarding home owners with lower premiums if they adopt smart technology which keeps their home more secure, discourages burglaries and sensing water leaks before they cause water damage.
Will some people think smart technology products for the home are just gimmicks, for the lazy who can’t be bothered getting out of their arm chair to turn the lights on or change the radio station, the truth is that some of the smart technology now available will ensure your home is less likely to be burgled. So here’s a rundown of those technologies:
Smart Sensors
Smart sensors can be placed around your property covering access points from inside and outside, both doors and windows. Once triggered a sensor will alert your smart devices such as your smartphone and tablet, letting you know which sensor has been triggered so you can respond or investigate. Your response might be to use other smart technology to indicate that your home is inhabited and you’re awake, such as turning on lights in several rooms, or playing music from smart speakers.
Smart Cameras
The limitation of course of smart sensors is that you don’t exactly know what has triggered the sensor so you’re not sure what a measured response should be. Whereas a smart camera gives you eyes on the situation without you having to put yourself at risk by going outside to investigate.
By streaming the video surveillance to your smartphone, you can easily monitor the situation before deciding how to respond if at all. It might just be your neighbour’s cat or your daughter coming home late, whereas if it really is an intruder you may want to alert the Police or turn on other smart devices to try to deter the intruder from proceeding further on your property.
Smart Doorbells
A smart doorbell is a good starting point with smart technology because it allows for security coverage of the front of your property, while also allowing you to have a two-way conversation with any visitors to your home. Used as a video intercom you can speak to your visitor whether you’re in bed in your own home, or up a mountain skiing a thousand miles away, For deliveries you can request the deliverer leave your parcel in a safe place, or for visitors you can tell them when you’ll be home, perhaps you’re just ten minutes away.
Smart Leak Technology
There are now water leak devices which detect water leaks within your water system. On detection of the leak they can even shut off your water supply so that no further damage is done, or at least indicate where within the system there is a leak so you can have it repaired promptly.
Combine all of these devices in a smart home and you can understand why your home will be more secure and deter intruders, so insurance companies have recognised this and are willing to reduce insurance premiums in line with that.
