Survey Finds Just 26% of Consumers Want a Smart Home

It’s easy to imagine that everybody would like a smart home, but in fact, a new survey carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that just 26% are currently interested. The survey also discovered that 81% of consumers are aware that smart homes exist.

According to the article in VentureBeat.com, more than 1000 consumers were surveyed online. The survey was carried out because of the huge number of tech companies currently developing products for the Internet of Things, many of which involve smart home technology.

Even though there is reasonable awareness about smart home technology, people have been slow to adopt it. Apparently, the survey found that consumers with a household income of $100,000 or more are the most likely to implement smart home devices at 43%. The next group most likely to adopt this technology are men at 32%. In contrast, just 13% of consumers over the age of 50 were likely to purchase these types of devices. However, amongst those who have chosen to adopt smart home technology, satisfaction is high. Users are pleased with the actual devices and with the apps supporting them.

The correlation between a smart device and its connectivity with an app is extremely high, with 74% of those surveyed saying they interact with their smart home device more frequently because it can connect with their mobile phone. Just 10% of consumers were unhappy with their smart devices, finding them to have a less than reliable connection or to be not as helpful as they thought. Some simply forgot they had the device.

Consumers are more likely to buy smart devices that improve safety and security, which are convenient and can reduce costs. Some three-quarters of those surveyed were willing to pay more for smart home devices offering enhanced security, for example, those devices that can remotely grant or deny access to a home. Consumers are also interested in gaining access to reward programs and discounts, with 72% willing to pay extra for this feature. Women are more interested in convenience, and 60% will be prepared to pay extra for personalized customer service. For those yet to purchase a smart home device, the price was found to be the biggest barrier with 42% reporting they hesitated over purchasing a device due to the cost.

The survey also highlighted the fact that there is a huge difference between adopting a single smart home device such as a smart thermostat and opting for a totally connected life.