Smart home devices are becoming increasingly popular

Every fourth citizen already owns at least one smart home device and the demand for intelligent lighting systems heating and awning controls as well as voice-controlled sockets continues to grow.

With commands like Alexa, turn on the TV Ok Google, dim the light in the dining room or Hey Siri vacuum the hallway and the kitchen various small and large household

appliances can now be controlled thanks to voice assistants. The digital association Bitkom carried out an interesting survey and asked 1,611 German citizens over the age of 18 about the topic of smart homes. The digital association wanted to know whether the respondents already use smart home devices to what extent they do so and whether further purchases of compatible devices are planned.

It turned out that smart home devices such as garden robots, vacuum cleaner robots or home emergency call systems are much more common than one might think. Nevertheless the younger generation has tended to rely on the new technical support so far.

One in four already relies on smart homes

Every fourth German citizen (26 percent) now has at least one smart home-enabled device. With around 17 percent, intelligent lighting systems or WLAN light bulbs are particularly popular with Germans. Video surveillance systems that can be easily connected to smartphones are the second most popular device with 14 percent. Voice assistants such as Alexa, Google or Siri (without smartphone) follow in third place with 13 percent.

At the same time, the awareness of Smart Home is increasing. In 2016 only 53 percent of German citizens could relate to this term, today it is around 71 percent. David Wulf and Sven managing directors of homeandsmart GmbH who operate a smart home portal that provides detailed information about new smart home devices, can also confirm this trend. In the last few years the number of available smart home devices has risen sharply and with it the awareness and interest in networked building technology explains Wulf Research and Knowledge in an interview.

The smart home is not about gadgets, it is about social changes e.g. Enable a self-determined life in old age at home as well as a decentralized resource-saving energy supply. From an economic and location-political perspective the main question in the coming years will be who operates the smart home platforms explains Bitkom President Achim Berger.

Great interest in smart home applications

Although 26 percent of respondents fear hacker attacks and 24 percent fear for their privacy, interest in technology is generally quite high. Around a third of German citizens who have not yet bought any smart home applications are already planning to buy them for the coming year. There is a special focus on heating thermostats (29 percent) and intelligent lighting systems (27 percent).

The Bitkom survey also found that almost one in five (19 percent) would be willing to pay more rent for a networked house or apartment. For 31 percent of German citizens the smart home topic already plays an important role when looking for an apartment. In the future the percentage of the population is likely to increase. 57 percent of those questioned also believe this.

In future smart home solutions will be as natural households as electricity light and running water explains Berg.The curiosity and openness for smart home applications in the population is there. It is important that we provide information about the potential create maximum security and help consumers to use the new technologies independently.