The UK home automation market has nearly tripled in size between 2012 and 2016, according to a report recently published by AMA Research.
It is estimated that the market increased by 20% in 2016, in value terms. Although home automation systems have been available in the UK for many years, it is in recent years they appear to have expanded from an upper market niche into a more mainstream market.
AMA Research found that this crossover to the mainstream is a key development that is changing the structure of the market with a large variety of entry level and lower cost home automation products having been made available at very competitive prices in the past 2-3 years.
Technological advances driving the home automation market include the progress of wireless controls and “app” or application programme-driven control interfaces, which emphasize user-friendliness.
“Greater interest and purchase of home automation systems has been encouraged by the wider availability of smartphone app controlled devices that are now more affordable and enable greater monitoring and control of a range of devices and systems in the home” said Hayley Thornley, Market Research Manager at AMA Research. “Many suppliers of home automation systems have embraced these developments and introduced control panels with icons that resemble smartphone controls, which are deemed to be more user-friendly than some of those previously used.”
The market is currently considered to be in the initial growth stage, with medium-term prospects for home automation remaining positive with over 50% growth currently forecast to 2021.
The ‘Home Automation Market Report – UK 2017-2021 Analysis’ report is published by AMA Research. It can be ordered online at www.amaresearch.co.uk
Image: The Wave smart control unit from Worcester, Bosch Group.
