March 25, 2019

By Jason Knott

A recent research study by Whirlpool Corp. paints a picture of what consumers desire in a smart appliance. The global survey of more than 2,000 homeowners and renters around the world reveals these six vital needs from a smart appliance:

Improve Efficiency –A vast majority of consumers (72 percent) are looking for simpler, faster ways to help manage their lives, and more than half admit to feeling that cooking (52 percent) and doing laundry (58 percent) take up more than the preferred amount of time. Smart appliances can fulfill those desires by enabling consumers to control them via voice, touch panels, tablets or smartphones from around the home. Automatic timers can be used to run appliances at regular intervals for improved efficiency.

Reduce Waste – Three in four respondents (74 percent) are interested in smart appliance features that reduce food waste.

Manage Water Usage – Three in four respondents (75 percent) are interested in smart appliance features that manage water usage.

Save Money – Three in four respondents (78 percent) are interested in smart appliance features that help them save money. Integrators who connect smart appliances with home control systems can integrate appliances with a time-of-day sliding scale electrical pricing structure to save money. For example, users can have a smart home control automatically run the dishwasher or laundry appliances during the middle of the night when electrical rates are lower to reduce costs.

Reduce Electrical Usage – Two in three respondents (64 percent) say it’s important that their appliances help save on electricity costs.

Customization – Two in three respondents (69 percent) actively seek out products that can be personalized to their unique preferences.

What It Means for Integrators – As the smart home and Internet of Things collide, smart appliances are a potentially new category of equipment for integrators to offer. While local appliance stores might carry a smart appliance, in most cases their delivery staff is not going to be capable of connecting a new smart refrigerator, dishwasher, oven or clothes washer and dryer to a home’s network. That task is going to be up to the custom integrator.