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Utility companies are losing out to "trusted" retailers on sales of connected homes products.
A survey by CP Consulting, a business intelligence company, has revealed that of the 7 per cent of UK households who have already purchased a connected homes device, just 5 per cent bought the device from their utility supplier.
Three quarters of early adopters purchased connected home devices online through retailers’ websites and around 20 per cent bought in store.
CP Consulting managing director Carlo Palmieri said: “Products were overwhelmingly bought from websites of UK trusted retailers with only 6 per cent of consumers having purchased directly from manufacturers’ websites.”
Palmieri said manufacturers of connected homes devices should consider building partnerships with installers, utility companies and insurance companies to achieve market penetration.
Of the householders who have already purchased devices, 60 per cent bought cameras, 37 per cent lighting, 35 per cent a connected homes hub and 32 per cent a smart thermostat.
The results also showed that the priority to customers yet to enter the connected homes market is saving money on energy bills, with hubs and thermostats the first products they are planning to buy.
Palmieri said: “Consumers who have not purchased connected home devices are mostly planning to buy the smart thermostat and home hub as their priorities are to save money on energy bills and monitoring their homes remotely.”
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