Smart homes are increasingly becoming a part of everyday life for many people across the UK, including in Cornwall, but are they the way forward in energy saving and sustainability or another modern fad? This article seeks to examine the impact smart homes, appliances and online tools are having, and whether or not they are worth it.
According to a poll by YouGov, almost a quarter of Britain’s (23 per cent) now possess one or more smart appliances in their home. This is a significant number of homeowners across the UK, showing a significant trend towards owning a smart device or using smart online services. More recent data shows that in 2024 for 80 per cent of homes in the UK used at least one smart home product, according to a survey conducted by NIQ.
More locally in Cornwall, Cornwall Council has been supporting smart feature integration and retrofitting of Cornwall’s housing stock to meet decarbonisation targets. The Council stated that nearly 1000 homeowners accessed a loan scheme set up by the council to use a smart home tool called ‘homewise’, which, according to a Council Webpage, specifies that
“The tool offers home energy efficiency advice in minutes. By completing a simple online survey, residents and landlords get a personalised action plan with tailored recommendations to make their property more energy efficient.”
The council went on to state that the users of Homewise, those property owners, went on to install a range of eco-friendly features such as solar panels, heat pumps and added insulation, all of which are set to boost the energy efficiency of their homes.
Cornwall council also outlined Smart meters and Thermostats in their ‘Housing Decarbonisation Strategy for Cornwall’ report, highlighting how the council can use smart technology to improve the eco-friendliness of the existing Cornish housing stock and meet their housing decarbonisation targets.
Smart home appliances such as smart meters also boast a large scale energy saving for consumers across the county, according to research conducted by Cornwall Insight and Smart Energy GB, the use of a smart meter to pick up on off peak electricity prices, could cut national electricity costs by £4.6bn in 2030, as well as national savings, consumers that participate in flexible electricity schemes could be looking at savings of £115 and £375 per annum for the average UK household.
Even with the savings, consumers can make use of smart home products, the cost upfront for installation is still high and can be a significant factor in warding off potential users of smart tech. According to YouGov 36 per cent of non smart tech owners listed the biggest concern they had about purchasing a smart devices was cost, devices such as smart speakers and TV’s can be pricey additions to a home, however cost saving devices such as a smart meter are free to install and are usually installed by request to your energy company. Another barrier to owning smart devices is security concerns. In the modern age, fears of systems being hacked or hijacked by online criminals can persuade many to put off buying a smart device altogether. 39 per cent of non-owners listed cyber attacks/security issues as their main concern, according to YouGov.
So is the evolution into smart home devices worth it? The energy-saving potential is clear, but real-world adoption of smart home devices depends on scale, cost and uptake. Cornwall’s council backed schemes have allowed more consumers to access smart tech advice on how to improve their home in the coming move towards decarbonisation, and how a retrofit for the modern age isn’t just about smart home solutions but also integrated upgrades such as solar panels, heat pumps, all working with features such as smart thermostats to create the energy dependability Cornwall needs.
Smart homes offer clear sustainability and cost benefits for all who use them, and can be a helping hand in moving forward to reach carbon-neutral goals, but their implementation and adoption depend on factors such as government and council policy, consumer awareness and education and energy infrastructure being upgraded alongside them. If the technology continues to take off in the years to come, Cornwall is on track to be a leading region in adopting smart homes and creating a cheaper and more climate-conscious county.