From energy to communications and beyond, there are a myriad of ways that technology can help you simplify your life, save money and lessen your impact on the environment.
If you are thinking about investing in household technology to help you if you’ve started working from home for the first time - doing your research can help you both spend and save safely and wisely.
Powered by solar
With rising power costs and no clear resolution from energy policy-makers in sight, installing a solar and battery storage system is an attractive idea for many households.
From a purely financial perspective, a solar and storage system will set you back thousands of dollars so before making a decision it’s a good idea to see if the investment will pay itself back over time. According to Solar Choice research, payback times from state to state can vary because of factors such as available sunshine hours, cost of the system, cost of grid electricity, any feed-in tariffs and the amount of power the household consumes.1
Solar and battery payback period for each capital city
City | Average payback period (years) |
Perth | 7.3 |
Brisbane | 8.2 |
Adelaide | 8.4 |
Sydney | 9 |
Melbourne | 9.6 |
Hobart | 11.4 |
Canberra | 12.7 |
While the future is looking bright for solar, it’s still a good idea to do the maths before making any decisions.
Get (house) smart
The ‘Internet of Things’, that is, the connectivity of everyday objects to the internet, is becoming increasingly ubiquitous. Smart homes started out with connected lighting and air conditioning and expanded to include a number of home appliances such as fridges, audio devices and home security. According to analysis by McKinsey & Company, such devices now number 29 million in the US alone2, and the market for these smart home options continues to expand. - A space to watch.
1 'Banking on Solar and batteries', Choice, 16 June 2017.
2 ‘There’s no place like (a connected) home’, McKinsey & Company.