This report was authored by SmartEnergy IP™ and published in 2020. The analysis draws on the results of two surveys of 5,000 adults conducted in the U.S. prior to and during the COVID period, with the aim of understanding consumers’ smart-home preferences and identifying potential business opportunities for utilities in the connected-home market. Results showed that energy management is a key driver for consumer adoption of smart home technology; thermostats ranked first on a list of home products favored by consumers, followed by security and lighting.  The paper concludes with a discussion of the critical role of utilities in rolling out smart home solutions.
Key words: connected home, controls/sensors, home assistants, utilities