What makes a student home ‘smart’?
A home is considered smart when it is full of “smart” devices that can connect to the internet and perform a range of tasks beyond their normal usage. For instance, thermostats, lights or appliances that can be adjusted remotely or speakers that can be voice-activated.
Why smart homes matter for students
Save energy without trying
Having a smartphone in your pocket means you can access and adjust your smart devices anywhere in the world providing you have internet access. Turning on/off lights, reducing or increasing the heating, and even turning off an appliance you accidentally left on means you’re not wasting energy throughout the day. This can make student bill splitting fairer, as energy isn’t being used unnecessarily when no one’s home. You can also set your heating to turn on in time for you to get home, so you don’t have to leave it running all day.
Cut costs across the house
If everyone in your household has access to their own smart tech, this means everyone can help reduce the overall outgoings and reduce energy consumption, which benefits all the bill payers.
Comfort and convenience for everyone
Smart tech is super easy to use and works on most modern smartphones, meaning it’s accessible for everyone. If someone’s left a device on accidentally in a common area, anyone in the house can access it remotely to switch it off or into low power mode to save money.
Smart tech that actually works in shared houses
Smart plugs and power strips
Smart plugs and power strips are one of the easiest ways to make a shared house more efficient. They allow you to control power sockets from your device remotely, and best of all, they’re cheap, simple to use, and easy to move around.
Smart thermostats
Smart thermostats are handy in shared student houses because they can be used to set off and on and off times, as well as switch off the heating when it’s been left on automatically. If you know everyone will be home between 7-9 am and then a similar time frame on a Monday evening, you can set the heating to switch on automatically, so it doesn’t have to stay on all day
Motion sensors and smart lighting
Motion sensors can be a game-changer in a shared household as they can switch the lights off and on in common areas without anyone having to lift a finger. This way, when the room is empty, the lights stay off, and less power is wasted. Best of all, no one has to remember.
Smart speakers and shared assistants
Setting timers for the kitchen, putting on music and even helping you check the weather. Smart assistants can be a real help in a shared house and can be super convenient when everyone benefits. Plus, you can even use them to check the households shared calendar for things like landlord visits, billing dates and which bin goes out when.
The sustainability benefits of smart student living
Being in better control of your tech devices allows you to utilise their power-saving options better and also understand where your energy wastage is affecting your bills the most. It gives you a better insight into where you can save money and help save the planet.
Challenges of smart tech in student homes
Short tenancies and shared ownership
Student living is rarely long-term, and many houses have lots of different occupants coming and going for short rental periods over the course of a few years. This can mean that whoever owns the smart devices may leave, taking them with them, and also some people may not remain long enough to see a difference in the bills.
Privacy and data concerns
Many smart devices will gather data on their users’ activity and usage. This can cause issues with privacy as companies will have access to this data and can use it for marketing or research purposes, which may make people uncomfortable.
Wi-Fi reliability and compatibility
Certain smart devices may not work on certain mobile devices, which can mean some members of the household may not have access. It can also be a struggle to connect to stable Wi-Fi in a busy household full of devices, which means users may experience dropouts or disconnections.
How to make your student house smarter on a budget
Smart tech not only helps make life easier for students, but it also helps reduce energy consumption and reduce bills. In a busy house with lots of different people, even a few extra smart plugs or power strips make all the difference and help save money long term. Speak to your housemates and landlord about making a difference.
Discover Smart Homes at The Student Energy Group
At The Student Energy Group, we want your time at Uni to be stress-free and easy. Our handy blog is packed with tips to save you money, hassle and most of all, keep your household as energy-efficient as possible.
