HVAC contractors: It is time to get involved in the smart home market. If you don’t, I fear you will be looking back in three to five years, kicking yourself for passing on a golden opportunity.

Service vans that say “heating and cooling” are still a lot more prevalent than vans that tout “heating, cooling, and smart home.”

Smart home technology is rapidly becoming commonplace, with 24 percent of American households owning a smart speaker in late 2018, per a study by Nielsen Holdings Inc.

What happens if the smart controls that tell a smart thermostat how to operate aren’t acting, well, very smart? Or the system won’t work with the Wi-Fi at a customer’s house?

Prior to joining the Service Nation Alliance, Triple A Air Conditioning & Heating had not been involved in the home automation business.

As HVAC products and home appliances get “smarter,” so too is the boiler — although perhaps with less flash and bang than the smart thermostat, smart doorbell, smartphone, or the new smart furniture that’s hitting the market. (Smart sofa, anyone? It’s a thing.)

Smart home services are in high demand. According to Statista, the smart home market is expected to grow 14.9 percent over the next four years to a market value of $34.6 billion in 2022.

Living in total reliance on caregivers for even the most mundane and sometimes very personal tasks is a reality for many of the most severely wounded — whether it’s turning on the a/c, making dinner, or getting in and out of the bathtub. That’s a need that GSF aims to support via the R.I.S.E. program, which provides custom homes for veterans, complete with smart home technology that helps them lead normal, everyday lives despite their injuries.

HVAC contractors come into contact with countless doorbells, light switches, and home appliances. They’re trusted advisors to the customers in their care. So when the time comes for their customers to replace those doorbells with their smart home counterparts, shouldn’t HVAC contractors be the “smartest” choice for the job?