Technophobia prevents Brits from future proofing homes

• Nearly three quarters of Brits want to future proof their home with smart technology
• Almost 50% of us want greater control of our home’s energy usage
• But 80% are putting off updating their homes due to a fear of not knowing how to install the technology and a lack of confidence about using it
• O2 Home, launched today, comes with professional installation included and makes monitoring and controlling a smart home easy

New research announced today reveals that despite a massive 73% of people interested in future proofing their homes with smart technology, only 5% are currently planning to install it in 2016.

According to the survey by O2 for the launch of O2 Home, a new service which lets people control their heating, lighting, locks and more from their phone, a significant 61% of people lack the confidence to install and run smart home technology, while 15% were not sure they even understood what smart home tech was.

The research also revealed that those aged over 55 years are the least confident with the new tech with 19% reporting being unsure of what smart home technology actually does. However, all those aged 24 and under O2 surveyed reported being completely or fairly comfortable with smart home kit. In addition to a lack of confidence, cost was another factor stopping people from adopting the latest home trend with 47% of respondents listing concerns over price as a reason they continued to live with outdated technology at home.

O2 Home, available from today in the London area and rolling out to the rest of the country in the near future, makes turning a home into a smart home simple and easy. Available in three customisable packages, customers taking O2 Home can choose from a range of smart technology, each piece working seamlessly with O2’s Smart Hub and phone app. Options include open and close sensors, which send an alert when a door or window is opened, as well as a range of cameras and presence sensors to give additional peace of mind while away from home.

Those looking to stay in control of their energy usage – something nearly half of people surveyed said they wanted – can choose smart plugs, which can turn electrical equipment off and on remotely. O2 Home customers can also opt for a smart thermostat which uses their phone’s GPS to automatically heat the house as they return home, as well as giving them complete control of their heating from wherever they are.

Unlike some other smart home technology, O2’s new O2 Home packages don’t come with large upfront payments, with contracts starting from £20 per month helping spread the cost over 24 months. O2 Home technology is also fitted professionally for free by O2 Home installers, meaning no complicated self-installations, and O2 will conduct an annual health check on all the equipment. Finally, they will also visit customers’ homes for free to fix anything which can’t be resolved remotely by O2’s UK based customer service team.

Nina Bibby, Marketing and Consumer Director at O2, said: “O2 Home is all about connecting our customers to the people and things that matter. Keeping your home up to date with technology shouldn’t be complicated – so we’ve brought together connectivity and smart technology in a simple package to give customers peace of mind wherever they are. We’ve made everything simple – with installation experts to help set things up and an app to monitor and control your home 24 hours a day. It’s smart technology for everyone, not just the tech-savvy.”

Customers who sign up to the O2 Home between 1st September 2016 and 14th September 2016 will be able to receive the first 12 months of O2 Home, free. Terms and conditions apply. For more information and to buy online, visit home.o2.co.uk or see the technology at one of four specialist O2 Home retail destinations including Westfield White City, Tottenham Court Road, Kingston and Watford.

About O2 Home:
O2 Home a new service providing smart technology solutions for greater control of your home within one easy app. It’s available from today in the London area and rolling out across the country in the near future.

About the Packages:

	O2 Home Comfort (£30 per month) includes the O2 Smart Hub, a tado smart thermostat, two smart plugs and one presence sensor
	O2 Home View (£30 per month) includes the O2 Smart Hub, a Samsung camera, wide view camera, one open and close sensor and one presence sensor
	O2 Home Connect (£20 per month) includes the O2 Smart Hub, two presence sensors, two open and close sensors and two smart plugs

Customers can also buy a range of additional technology which will work seamlessly with their O2 Smart Hub.

Additional devices available:

• Standard view camera: £90
• Samsung SmartCam wide view camera: £130
• Panoramic camera: £160
• Outdoor camera: £160
• tado° thermostat: £199
• Presence sensor: £30
• Open and close sensor: £30
• Smart smoke detector: £35
• Fibaro flood sensor: £35
• Powerline adaptor: £55
• Smart delivery box (medium) plus open and close sensor: £100
• Smart delivery box (large) plus open and close sensor: £160
• Fake TV burglar deterrent: £25
• Keypad: £38
• Indoor siren: £45
• Key fob: £10
• Yale keyfree connected smartlock: £444

Monthly fee incorporates:

• Professional installation from an O2 Home Installer
• Annual health check from an O2 Home expert
• Free call out visits for anything that we can’t sort over the phone
• O2 Home’s dedicated, UK-based customer care
• 30 days of video storage with all cameras (250Mb of free, secure cloud storage – enough to capture ten 15-second video clips and 250 snapshots per day for a month)
• 24 month device warranty
• Ten free account profiles so all the family can have access

About the survey:
O2 commissioned a survey of 2,000 UK adults on their opinions on smart home technology. The survey was conducted by OnePoll in July 2016.