Do you control your home with your smart phone?

[Major Tom]

The popular thing these days is using your smart phone to lock/unlock doors, control your thermostat for heating/AC and a myriad of other things. You can even turn on your shower and adjust the water temperature! But now, in Colorado, the power companies (electric) can shut down/adjust your heating and AC without your consent! Thus controlling how much power you use! In a heat wave, you have your AC set at 75 degrees or in in Winter you set your heat to 72 degrees. It is now legal for the power companies to lower your comfort zone to where you are very uncomfortable.
Also, if you unlock/lock your doors with a smart phone, beware there are hackers out there that can open your door while you are gone and walk off with all your stuff!

[Allen]

Good info Tom.

I use as little elec technology as possible these days. I have thought about using the above but only if I had a second home utilizing the lights on/off to look like the home was occupied when it wasn't. In this case the heat/ac wouldn't matter as much but ONLY in this case.

I have several email accounts and sites that require passwords. I am constantly hounded by Google to combine everything. They call it "recovery accounts". I call it making it extremely easier for a hacker to get into EVERYTHING you have on your computer. If they get into one account they can get into everything at once that way.

With Windows 10 and 11 and Smart TV's we're making it easier to snoop and hack. Add to that apps like above and you're rolling out the red carpet and giving them a blank check as well.

Reminds me of the movie "1984".

[Johnny P]

Our local power company has been offering "smart" thermostats for free with free installation, but the fine print indicates that they can adjust your temperature in times of peak demand or other emergencies. I elected to stay with my old dumb thermostats.

[barretcreek]

Have double keyed deadbolts for the doors; habit from being away for long periods. Flip phone for talking to people too far away to shout at.
About 22,000 Xcel customers found out the hard way the 'discount' they got had some fine print.

I also wonder about women who unlock their car from thirty feet away in the mall parking lot at night. That woman in Tennessee figured she could jog at 4:30 a.m., alone?
Assume nothing.

[Allen]

Yep, this isn't the 1970's any longer. We live in a new "normal" now.

[togor]

We heat with wood. Don't think they have a smart gizmo yet to restoke the firebox.

Try to get by with fans in the summer. But there are some days every year (10?) when the AC gets run. Mostly when it's hot AND sticky at the same time. I do not envy those in places where that is the summer norm.