Smartphones, smart TVs, smart meters – most of us will already own at least one smart device, but what else will be going “smart” in the future? Well it turns out, quite a lot. Most importantly, much of this clever tech will reduce energy wastage – helping us all do our bit for the planet. Here are five things you need to know about the future of smart devices …
Kitchens get high(er) tech
Long gone are the days when the teasmade was considered revolutionary. Now you can talk to your blender, use your smartphone to switch on the microwave, and check what you’ve got in the fridge via an app connected to an in-built camera while browsing the supermarket shelves.
If you love gadgets and gizmos, the kitchen is about to get a whole lot more exciting. With an integrated tablet, a smart fridge has all sorts of fancy functions – from shopping lists and calendars, to recipe suggestions and music playlists. Smart ovens can help take the heat out of dinner time as you can switch them on to pre-heat via an app before you get home, and even switch them off if you discover you’re going to be late.
Smart kitchen blocks sterilise your knife collection with UV LED lights, while smart scales guide you in measuring out ingredients for your favourite recipe or the perfect martini cocktail. Fit a GeniCan to your recycling bin, and scan the barcodes of empty containers to add them to your shopping list so you won’t forget to order more. And if you really have your hands full, an automatic pan stirrer lets you step away from the stove. Handy!
Smart plugs will switch things up
Leaving household appliances on standby is a habit we all need to get out of: it not only costs us money, but it is also bad for the environment. In fact, Energy Savings Trust estimates that you could save £35 a year by not leaving devices on or on standby. This is where smart plugs come in. Smart plugs allow you to control your devices through an app on your phone or via voice command. These sockets with computer chips inside can operate your lights, TV, basically anything you plug into them, even when you’re not at home, which is a godsend for people who frequently get the “have I left the hair straighteners on?!” fear.
Outdoor smart plugs can be set up to turn on your lights once it’s dark – great for security, or saving you a trip outside on cold dark nights. Devices vary, but some smart plugs allow you to see how much energy an appliance is using, while others allow for scheduling or have countdown timers. Sign us up!
Smart meters will help us all do our bit
You’ve probably already heard of smart meters, but if you’re not sure what they do or why they’re such an important innovation, it’s time to swot up. Not only do smart meters give us the ability to monitor our energy usage (and see exactly how much those long, hot showers are costing in pounds and pence), but they also feed valuable information to energy providers, allowing them to more accurately predict energy consumption on a local, regional and national level, and adapt supply to match demand.
Why is this so important? Well a smart grid that’s dynamic and flexible will be able to supply and store energy more effectively. In the future, as we juggle the balance between charging our electric cars and heating our homes, we’ll need to know when to plug in and switch on to make the most of renewable energy supplies at cheaper, off-peak times. Getting a smart meter installed – at no extra cost – will help speed up the transition to a decarbonised network, reducing our reliance on coal and other fossil fuels.
Smartphones go greener
The number of smartphones in circulation has doubled to six billion in the last five years, and they’re a huge drain on the environment – from the mining of the precious metals and minerals they’re made of, to their convoluted supply chains and disposable nature.
The good news is that the industry is finally starting to take notice.
While there is more work to be done by many of the tech giants, Apple is at least finding some innovative ways to recover these valuable materials – whether cobalt and lithium in the battery, or gold and copper in the wires and connectors – to reduce the need to mine for more. Daisy, its disassembly robot, works fast, taking apart 200 used iPhones every hour.
Meanwhile companies such as FairPhone are looking at the problem from the ground up and designing new phones with recycling in mind. Each handset is made with seven modules that are designed to be easily repairable, and all of the components are sourced responsibly – from Fairtrade certified gold, to recycled plastics and conflict-free minerals. Now that’s what we call smart.
Smart valves will be a hot ticket
Chances are, you’ve not spent much time thinking about your radiator valves, but smart valves are here to change the game. Known as smart thermostatic radiator valves or smart TRVs, these clever devices have their own in-built temperature sensors that allow for personalised, room-by-room heating control – so you don’t waste energy and money heating up your whole home just because someone’s a bit chilly in one room.
Linked directly to your smartphone via an app, such as Hive, or voice-controlled assistants, such as Alexa, you can program different temperature schedules for each room, or turn off radiators altogether when rooms aren’t in use. Best of all, these clever devices can be used with any central heating system and are quick to fit. See, we told you radiator valves were on the up!
Join the energy revolution and contact your energy supplier to request a smart meter. For more information visit smartenergygb.org
This article was paid for by Smart Energy GB – the not-for-profit, government-backed campaign helping everyone in Britain to understand the importance of smart meters and their benefits to people and the environment.
