Playing it smart – are connected devices worth the money?



Everyone seems to be launching ‘smart’ products these days that vow to make your life easier, eradicate boring jobs and save you money in the long run.  IT and business research company, Gartner, has even predicted that by 2020, IoT [Internet of Things] technology will be in 95% of electronics for new product designs.  No matter how popular connected appliances are becoming, are they really worth the money?

A walk around a gadget filled home could find you tripping over the robot vacuum cleaner, or see you sitting on the sofa using an app to make the tea, turn on the oven or washing machine and check what is in the fridge to eat. But with all this technology available to those with the right budget, what is worth the money and what is a ‘nice to have if you can afford it?’

When measuring worth, the number one product has to have a reasonably short payback period and deliver wider benefits. Energy-saving products naturally fall into this category, saving both money and benefitting the environment. Manufacturers are offering more green appliances than ever before, but the top ones in terms of ‘worth’ have to include:

  • Smart thermostats
  • LED lighting
  • Energy managements systems and ‘smart’ heaters
  • Charging stations
  • Smart power strips

Here at Haverland, the company’s IoT, connected heater, ULTRAD, is proving very popular with customers. ULTRAD is a self-learning electric radiator that can be controlled with a smartphone, tablet or PC/Mac app from anywhere in the world. It learns when the room is in use and can also detect movement; adjusting the temperature accordingly. ULTRAD’s smart controls offer the ultimate in flexibility as programmes can be overridden remotely, heating customised and ideal temperatures pre-set for every hour of the day if needed. As well as ultimate control, every degree of temperature dropped saves 7 to 8% of the energy used.

With such flexible control and energy saving potential, it is no wonder that the ULTRAD electric radiator has put the ‘smart’ back in connected heating!