The demand for sophisticated technology and gadgets within the home is on the rise, paving the way for the next big thing – the smart home.

Following the launch of its whitepaper on smart homes of the future, Andy Mansfield, marketing communications manager at Honeywell, says stocking the right products is the first step to helping customers capitalise on this growing trend.

Developments in home technology have grown at a staggering pace over the last few years, and homeowners are quickly turning to devices that offer them more convenience, efficiency and financial flexibility. Experts have suggested that the number of multi-connected devices, known as ‘the internet of things’ will grow to over 26bn1 by 2020, a 30 fold increase on today’s figures and a market valued at over a trillion dollars.

In a survey* carried out by Honeywell, nearly half of all homeowners (47%) said they would be interested in having a fully connected smart home where they could control everything from a tablet or phone. When asked why, 71% cited lowering their energy bills.

Installers mirror this enthusiasm, and are keen to re-position themselves with customers as ‘smart’ installers in this emerging market. Seventy-four percent of installers admitted they would like to be capable of providing fully-integrated systems, and 86% stated that they would be eager to learn more about smart home technology.

However, if smart homes are to become a viable solution for homeowners, they need buy-in from the industry as a whole – and that includes manufacturers, installers and builders’ merchants.

Seventy-one percent of installers said they would buy their smart gadgets from a local builders’ merchant, demonstrating a clear demand for smart stock. Equally, manufacturers have a responsibility to work more closely with merchants, helping to ensure they are stocking the right products and providing or signposting the right training.

Likewise, electrical wholesalers – which are still the first port-of-call for 47% of electricians when looking to buy smart technologies – need to be fully equipped with both the products and the information they need to supply the electrician.

There is a whole new market emerging which is there for the taking for the UK installer – and their merchant. The key is tapping into it.

*For more information, or to download the full white paper, visit http://www.honeywelluk.com/news/Smart-homes-of-the-future/.