Smart home technology: Who is using it?

As smart home technology continue to increase in popularity, it seems to be the “it” product to add to a home to increase appeal.

But who is using this technology? According to Energy Pulse’s report, The Smart Home Gender Gap, the average user is a millennial male homeowner who is educated with a high income. The report also found that the most likely future buyer is the same.

However, while women are most likely the purchaser for products for their home, they are not nearly as interested in smart home technology as their male counterparts. Less than half of women (44 percent) said they knew what smart home meant, compared to 59 percent of men.

When asked what terms they associated with smart homes, men outpaced women with positive answers, like desirable, cool, convenient and saves money, while women outpaced men with the lone negative option, expensive.  Additionally, 49 percent of women said they haven’t tried smart home technology because of the cost, compared to only 41 percent of men.

The report suggests that women need to associate smart home technology with things they care about, such as aesthetics, energy efficiency, savings, convenience, health, safety and comfort, as opposed to just the expense and technological aspects.

Smart thermostats (29 percent) and home security systems (28 percent) are the leading smart home products that consumers said they will purchase in the next year. Thirty-six percent of potential homebuyers said they want their new home to have a smart thermostat, while 34 said a home security system.

While there may be a difference among genders in regards to technology, they can agree about the importance for energy efficiency. Seventy-one percent of women and 70 percent of men agreed it’s important.