The importance of consumer education

The key consumer themes that resonated with everyone were energy, security and flexibility. End users regularly bring these up as key factors in the consumer desire for smart homes. However, our discussion also identified another real opportunity—that of increasing consumer education, while continuing to meet the growth expectations of the market.

Education is critical.

It is important that consumers are shown the tangible benefits of smart technology. Deborah Honig, Chief Customer Office at Samsung UK, suggested that this should come through demonstrating the positive financial impact of connected living. She said, ‘The cost of living is at the forefront of everyone’s minds and the industry should be thinking about demonstrating real cost savings, understanding what consumers are willing to pay for and then walking them through the total cost of ownership and where they benefit. This would help them understand that smart technology not only supports in making running a home easier, but also helps reduce bills.’

Showing people these savings can be a powerful motivator. Edward Jezeph, Senior Manager Investments and Innovation at Homes England, believes that this is where regulation can meet the industry in growing the smart home market. He said, ‘At the moment, the government is looking at sustainability and smart technology from a regulation standpoint, setting a base standard. But the pound coins of consumers can be a far more powerful motivator. That goes back to providing the information that enables consumers.’

Consumer demand for energy efficiency

However, when it comes to energy efficiency, Edward has actually seen consumers leading the way, as people are more 'climate-conscious and aware of energy and the environment, particularly when it comes to costs.’. At the same time, issues can arise if people aren’t able to clearly see the cost savings throughout the household. For example, electricity costs may increase when EV chargers are installed—something that may concern people if they don’t also consider decreased petrol spend and the net effect on overall bills. Edward suggested that, ‘The question is, at scale, how do you help consumers see they’ve made the right choice?’

The success of technology adoption in energy efficiency has been reflected in the uptake of air source heat pumps, which passed 250,000 UK installations in 2024¹. Now it’s important that consumers are made aware of the savings that can come from automating energy use.

At the same time, the industry must also educate itself. The UK is moving from fossil fuel systems to low carbon technologies and this means new skills are required. Sunny Vashisht, Business Development Manager from Samsung Climate Solutions works closely with clients in the construction industry and has seen the efforts being made. He observed, ‘We need to properly upskill installers so that the technology can run seamlessly and provide benefits immediately. The proper integration of energy into smart homes is a real focus.’

The industry is responding. Jack Brayshaw, Head of Technical Innovation at Vistry, works closely with his customer service department to understand the challenges.

This shouldn’t be a burden and Mario Balducci, CEO at London Land Group recognises that proper upskilling will benefit everyone. He has seen the positive effects that collaboration in the industry can have. He commented, ‘It’s not a boxticking exercise. It makes a difference in people’s lives and is rewarding. This movement is mind-blowing and exciting and, as we grow our partner network, everyone is adding something to it.’

Quantifying the value of smart homes

Of course, other providers, such as financial institutions and insurers, should be brought on this journey and be given the right data to properly value homes and calculate policies. While there has been progress in Green Mortgages and some insurers are offering discounted policies based on smart device use, the products on offer don’t always account for the rapid innovation taking place. Jack Brayshaw thinks that the data exists and needs to be shared so that everyone can ‘have the confidence to be able to value those homes.’ The industry must continue trials and pilot studies to build the right databases.

As the smart home movement continues to gather pace, the future is looking very positive. Murtaza Bukhari, General Manager Strategic Partnerships UK & Europe for Samsung B2B Integrated Offering Team is working with a number of partners to shape the future of connected living. He’s looking to AI as ‘the next horizon’. He’s also encouraged that, ‘Everyone’s learnings and data can help people, from the developers through to the eventual residents of a property.

There is a real appetite for collaboration in supporting the growing demand for connected living. As the industry continues to adapt, continued education will help consumers and other stakeholders see the very real benefits that smart technology brings, making sure that the future really is smart.