Home security and home automation have evolved greatly in the past five years. Technologies, like energy management, access control and video surveillance, have become more commonplace, enabling increased security and more convenient lifestyles.

While these features may seem futuristic to some, they’re readily available to the average consumer today. We outline each below:

Energy Management: Efficiency and Cost Savings

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Energy management technology lets you control home utilities from anywhere at anytime—saving money in the process. With the right solution, you can:

  • Turn lights on and off remotely.
  • Adjust your thermostat.
  • Turn off heating/cooling systems altogether.
  • Create customized, automated rules.
  • Respond to visitors using your smart doorbell camera.

Consider this: When pulling out of the driveway, you notice that your bedroom light is on. You open a phone app to turn it off. While you’re in the app, you realize the air conditioning is blowing at 65 degrees. To save energy, you bump it up to 72 degrees, and set a timer for it to lower back down in four hours when you’ll return home.

Whether you’ve stepped out for the day or are gone for the week, check in on your appliances from afar and/or create schedules that match your lifestyle. Easily do your part to keep the environment healthy and your wallet closed.

Access Control: Peace of Mind and Simplicity

With access control, know who is entering your home and when. This makes life for families, caregivers, and elderly and disabled persons simpler.

How does it work? Each person authorized to enter your home receives a unique access code. Codes can be either temporary (with a set expiration date) or permanent.

Let’s say you’re going out of town for the week and need a dog sitter. While the person will need to enter your home, you don't want him or her to have access once the week ends. In this case, simply program an access code to expire the day you return.

Rest assured that the appropriate people are in your home at the right time.

Furthermore, access control enables you to control your home remotely. Forget to lock a door, or think you left the garage door up? No problem. Lock and unlock doors remotely with your smartphone. Just check whether the garage door is up and, if it is, close it remotely with the touch of an app.

Video Surveillance: Visibility and Convenience

Video surveillance is not new; however, technological advancements have made it more accessible and affordable. With video cameras in your home, you can:

  • Access live video or recorded clips from your computer, smartphone or tablet.
  • Remotely control your cameras. Turn them on and off, and adjust views.
  • Enable motion-triggered settings.
  • Receive email or text message alerts when video is recorded.

Expecting a package to be delivered? Set a notification to be alerted when the carrier rings the doorbell. Then, use your phone or computer to view the front door surveillance camera and confirm package delivery.

When video surveillance and access control work together, gain eyes on your home and control over your property. For example, receive a text alert when an authorized code has been used, then pull up the video to confirm that the code matches the person.

What’s the best part about these “futuristic” home security features? You don't need to be tech savvy to benefit from their capabilities.

What’s on your home security wish list?

Image Source: Yuri Samoilov via Flickr