Amid the cost-of-living crisis and the energy crisis, consumers are turning to smart devices in a hope to save money.

techUK‘s new State of the Connected Home report reviewed the consumption trends of smart devices in UK households, from smart TVs to refrigerators, doorbells to thermostats.

Smart devices often come with extra features that allow appliances to connect directly to the internet and, often, other devices. This allows users to control their devices remotely, often via their smartphone.

The range of features and applications vary dramatically, from TVs that can directly connect to the internet and apps like Netflix, to smart security systems and lightbulbs that can be monitored from afar.

Awareness of smart devices is high, with about four in five Brits having at least some knowledge of smart devices, though this has stagnated since last year.

80% of UK consumers surveyed own at least one smart device, which is a three per cent rise from the 2022 research.

Younger generations tend to own more devices: 43% of 16-24 years olds and 45% of 25-34 year olds own over three devices.

However, sales appear to have dropped between April 2022 and March 2023 by about 3%.

Consumer confidence did fall to an all time low during 2022, but does appear to be rebounding, with 19% of consumers saying they were likely to spend ‘a little more’ on connected devices this coming year.

Focus: Smart Energy Devices

To reflect the cost-of-living crisis and, more specifically, the energy crisis, techUK asked pointed questions regarding smart thermostat trends.

Smart thermostats allow consumers to track their energy consumption in real-time, and can even have features to suggest the most energy efficient times to heat their homes.

While about 18% of surveyed respondents own a smart thermostat, nearly 30% are interested in buying one for their home.

A major driver of this interest is the expectation to make their money back through energy savings generated through the smart device.

Two fifths of respondents expect the cost of their energy smart device to be recovered within a year, via lower energy bills.

The cost-of-living crisis looms over making these purchases in the first place, however: 61% of consumers think smart devices would cost too much to purchase.

Recommended

• Roundtable | What Can Be Learned From Estonia’s Tech Success?
• 92% of Devs Using AI Coding Tools, New GitHub Survey Finds
• New Exploit Uses Windows 10 Torrents to Distribute Malware

Matthew Evans, Director for Markets, techUK said: “For the seventh year, techUK has explored the connected home technology market and how consumer behaviour is changing.

“This year’s figures showing a rising interest in using connected home devices to improve energy efficiency are very understandable; consumers are responding to a difficult economic outlook and cost of living crisis, and are developing stronger knowledge of how connected home technology can empower them to improve their energy consumption.”

Connected Devices and Cybersecurity

One of the benefits of smart appliances is their connectivity capabilities – your fridge, TV, thermostat, speaker, and security systems can all be managed remotely through the internet and a smartphone.

Connective compatibility was one of the top features consumers sought when purchasing new devices, making sure their multitude of devices could all connect to their wifi, phone, and each other for easier management.

For cybersecurity specialists, however, this is the stuff of nightmares.

More connections from insecure devices leave more openings for bad actors to hack into devices and networks, leaving every connected appliance and their data at the mercy of cybercriminals.

A major reform to protect all devices is ensuring they are Secure-by-Design: essentially, that cybersecurity protections are built into the product.

This year, the government passed the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act — a step in securing Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The Act will mandate that all consumer IoT products have three key security compliance measures integrated in every device.

These include: clear information on the support and update period for the device from the manufacturer, no default passwords set by the manufacturer, and providing information on how to report any security issues.