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Bring your house under your complete control with our guide to home automation

We may not yet have flying cars, but controlling our mod cons with voice commands is today’s reality. Smart speakers like Amazon Echo bring talkative smart assistants to life, acting as virtual butlers at your beck and call. Smart home hubs obey (almost) your every command, making it easy for you to control all the smart appliances around your home. Read on for seven nifty smart home tricks.

1Light up your life While smart bulbs and other smart devices come with their own smartphone apps, most also work with smart assistants. For example, Arlec smart bulbs work with the Grid Connect app, but you can also link them to Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa, so you don’t need your phone. If you have an Amazon Echo smart speaker on the kitchen bench you can say, “Alexa, turn on the lights”, and it’s smart enough to know you mean the kitchen lights. 

Arlec 9W 806lm RGB+CCT BC B22 smart globe with Grid Connect, $24.98, I/N: 0111500

Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

Remember to hire a licensed electrician to carry out any electrical works

Arlec smart plug in socket with Grid Connect and energy meter, $24.98, I/N: 0135442 (smartphone not included)

3Fight the power

Smart plugs let you turn the power on and off, as well as set timers, to give practically any appliance a smart overhaul. You can ask Siri to turn on the heater before you get out of bed or automatically switch on your electric blanket on a cold night. Some smart plugs also monitor electricity usage, working with Google or Alexa to help you unmask power hogs and see how much it costs to run an appliance.

2Antsig smart IR universal remote controller with Grid Connect, $44.99, I/N: 0118693 Stay cool Don’t worry if your air con split system lacks wi-fi and only has an infrared remote. An Antsig Grid Connect smart IR universal remote controller can mimic your system’s remote, acting as the middleman so you can control the air from afar. You can turn it on as you leave work, or create a routine to automatically turn it on as you approach home on a hot day.

4Get into a routine Amazon Echo ‘Show 5’ compact smart display with Alexa in Charcoal, I/N: 0123369 Rather than rattle off a long list of commands to your various smart home devices, you can combine them into a single routine. “Alexa, good morning” might turn on the kitchen lights, dial up the heating and warm up the coffee machine. You can schedule routines or trigger them with events, such as when you arrive home or when a smart motion sensor detects someone entering the room. You can also create routines to schedule lighting scenes while you’re away on holidays.

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Smart home helpers

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1 Amazon ‘Echo Gen4’ smart speaker with Alexa in Charcoal, I/N: 0229701. 2 Orion 1080p smart HD pan and tilt security camera with Grid Connect, $89, I/N: 0155190. 3 Amazon ‘Echo Dot Gen4’ smart speaker with clock and Alexa in Twilight Blue, I/N: 0229700. 4 Arlec smart home hub with Grid Connect, $39.98, I/N: 0148571. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.

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Smart Home Products 210cm x 90cm

motorised roller

blind in White, $189, I/N: 0135999

Draw the blinds Motorised smart blinds help keep your house cool in summer and warm in winter to curb your energy bills. You can say, “Hey Siri, close the lounge room blinds” or create a routine that automatically adjusts them at a certain temperature or time of day. Routines let you use phrases like ‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’ so your blinds adjust at the right time all year round, which helps give the house a lived-in look when you’re away.

6Stand guard

You can keep an eye on things at home with smart cameras, which let you view footage on your smartphone while you’re out and about. Two-way audio means you can talk to whoever you can see through the camera. A smart doorbell shows you who’s on your doorstep, so you can decide whether to unlock the door and let them in by talking to Google Assistant or Alexa.

Orion smart wireless video doorbell with Grid Connect, $140, I/N: 0178707

7Set the scene Many smart bulbs can change colour and brightness to set a mood, which can be saved as a scene and named, for example, ‘movie night’. When Friday night rolls around, a simple voice command sets the scene for a big night in. It’s also handy when you’re heading out. “Many people have an ‘I’m leaving’ scene, where everything that needs to be off when you leave the house does just that, all at once!” explains Tanya Gatti of Arlec. ◆

Google ‘Nest’ mini in Chalk, I/N: 0172946

Smart starts in the garage.

Open and close your garage door from anywhere with your smartphone.

• Feel reassured that the kids got home safely • Let friends, family or tradies in easily • Keep your home secure

Get a smart garage in 3 easy steps…

1.

Buy and install any myQ compatible garage door opener

Download the myQ App & connect your garage door opener Buy and install the myQ connectivity kit

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Learn more - bunnings.co.nz/smartgarage