MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A new smart home study released by Lowe’s found that more than 70 percent of smart phone users in America just wish they could control something in their home from their mobile device without getting out of bed. Lowe’s 2014 Smart Home Survey examined Americans’ attitudes and experiences with home automation.

The data reveals that a majority of Americans are generally favorable to smart homes, with nearly two-thirds (62 percent) finding the smart home most beneficial for monitoring safety and security.

The survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Lowe’s, polled more than 2,000 U.S. adults and finds that 52 percent of Americans feel that having a smart home is at least somewhat important to them. When it comes to purchasing consideration, more than half (56 percent) of Americans cite either cost or fees as the most important deciding factor (31 percent say monthly fee amount and 26 percent say the cost of equipment), followed by ease of use (13 percent) and security (11 percent).

Contractors should note that 50 percent say they prefer do-it-yourself smart home solutions, indicating the need to stress the benefits of professional installation.

“In general, Americans feel positively toward products that will make their homes safer, more energy efficient, and easier to manage. It is added evidence that the smart home and Internet of Things are here to stay,” said Kevin Meagher, Lowe’s vice president and general manager, Smart Home.

Additional findings of the survey include:

• 40 percent say a benefit of owning a smart home would be to cut costs and save money on energy bills.

• 44 percent of Americans who own a smartphone or tablet would like to be able to adjust the thermostat before getting out of bed.

• Nearly half of Americans (49 percent) wish their home would already be the perfect temperature when they arrive home.

• The top three things Americans wish they could control before they arrive home are actually the same three things they’re most likely to forget to do before leaving the house: turn off the lights (18 percent), adjust the thermostat (15 percent) or lock the door (5 percent).

An infographic depicting the results and a visual report of the survey can be downloaded here.

Publication date: 9/8/2014

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