The rising costs of heat and electricity are driving the use of smart home applications that increase energy efficiency in the home. According to a representative survey by the digital association Bitkom, a quarter of people in Germany already use smart radiator thermostats. Last year it was only 17 percent and 15 percent in 2020.
Smart heating and hot water solutions can, for example, detect whether anyone is at home at all and regulate the temperatures accordingly. They also regulate the temperature according to whether the room is being aired or not. As a result, the heating usually consumes significantly less energy than when it is controlled by hand, Bitkom explained.
Even in midsummer, the smart home can help save energy, for example with intelligent roller shutters or awnings, which are automatically lowered in strong sunlight and thus reduce the consumption of air conditioning. A fifth (21 percent) of those surveyed are already using smart roller shutters or awnings, in 2021 it was still 13 percent. A fifth (21 percent) also use smart or WLAN sockets to avoid constant stand-by operation, for example of a television.
"Smart home technologies can make a very concrete contribution to using less heating energy and electricity," said Bitkom President Achim Berg. They are much more than a technical gimmick. "They increase energy efficiency, provide more security and ultimately increase the comfort and quality of life in your own home." Intelligent heating and cooling technology is not only worthwhile for homeowners. Smart thermostats can also be installed in a few simple steps in rented apartments and simply taken with you when you move.
New smart home command standard
Overall, 43 percent of all people in Germany have at least one smart home application in their four walls. This continues the trend of recent years: in 2020 it was still 37 percent and in 2018 only 26 percent.
Smart home applications are a focus of the IFA technology fair, which starts this Friday. In the "IFA Smart Home Special Area" exhibitors will primarily be showing devices and applications that work with the new Smart Home command standard "Matter" and the new wireless technology "Thread". The standards developed by large technology groups such as Amazon, Google, Apple and Samsung together with smart home specialists such as Eve, Bosch and Signify are intended to ensure that previously existing isolated solutions are replaced by an all-encompassing language.
"Matter is coming this fall and Eve is ready to go," said Jerome Gackel, CEO of Eve Systems. The Munich-based company was one of the first smart home manufacturers to rely on the new standards worldwide. This means that language assistants and smartphones from various smart home ecosystems such as Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings can also control a wide variety of smart home devices.
Amazon manager Chris DeCenzo promised at the IFA a "frustration-free setup" of all Matter-enabled Thread devices. "The launch of Matter is a crucial milestone on the journey to the future of connected everyday life," said Samsung executive Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings in the US.
Organizer IFA press releases PM Bitkom
