The homes of the future are smarter than ever…and they are already here.
How a well-connected householder got smarter about the bills
When David Heath moved into the Bowden Village development on the old Clipsal factory site in inner-city Adelaide last year, he was drawn to the location, the blend of old and new architecture and its 5-star green energy rating.
But it was icing on the cake when he found he was connected to our network.
Bowden Village is part of the new ‘smart home’ trend.
“In my spare bedroom there is a walk-in wardrobe with the NBN box and all the bedrooms have data ports in the walls for smart TVs, laptops and other devices,” said Mr Heath.
He contacted his internet service provider who came out and installed a router. Now he not only has his internet service connected to our network but also his home phone and Wi-Fi for his mobile phone.
“It’s fabulous. No matter where I am in the apartment I can download content instantly with no breaks in transmission,” he said.*
Working in public affairs, Mr Heath is on the phone and email around the clock. So, he was impressed when he found his bill for all his communications – internet, landline and mobile phone - was considerably cheaper than he expected.
“If this is the household of the future – then I’m all set up for it. I’m ready for a smart TV, smart fridge, 4K TV and any other new device,” he said. Our network connection has also made leisure time easier and more pleasurable.
“Sunday is my movie day and I can upload Foxtel movies really fast through [my service over] the NBN.”
According to the builder, Rossdale Homes, having NBN in the mix is a major drawcard.
“The market for this area is aimed at upwardly mobile professionals and downsizers, both of whom want high speed internet,” said Giles French, Managing Director of Rossdale Homes.
There are 16 buildings in the complex, with more on the drawing board, and all are ready to connect to our network. The Bowden Village apartments have 5-star water and energy ratings, stormwater recycling, solar panels on the roof, and residents can choose an electricity provider.
“My apartment is a two-story penthouse and has sliding walls which allow a breeze to cool down the apartment naturally,” said Mr Heath.
According to design experts in this field, smart home technology can reduce energy and water usage; make living more comfortable with ideal temperatures and lighting levels; and save households money.**
Giles French of Rossdale Homes says the latest smart homes are installed with an ‘energy management and monitoring system’ to update information about internal lighting, heating, cooling and water use.
“In the future, devices like these will be far more interactive and will continually fine tune and balance a house’s energy needs. A fast (internet) connection (over the NBN) will be integral to making that happen,” Mr French said.
Meanwhile David Heath is enjoying the best of both worlds, sitting in his comfortably cool home downloading movies at an enviable speed.
* Your experience including the speeds actually achieved over the NBN depends on the technology over which services are delivered to your premises and some factors outside our control like your equipment quality, software, broadband plans and how your service provider designs its network.
** Source: www.smarthomes.com.au
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