UWG4 thermostats now work with voice assistants
Our UWG4 thermostat is now integrated with voice assistants, bringing your end-users all the convenience and benefits of smart-home living. It’s already been enabled – so all owners of Wi-Fi-enabled UWG4 thermostats can connect them to their Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant-enabled devices.
The UWG4 now enables voice control, making it easy for you to offer clients the benefits of smart home tech, read more here
Convenient control
With the introduction of voice control, adjusting the temperature of floor heating just got even easier for homeowners – and bringing them this added convenience is entirely trouble-free for you, too. An important point, given that the trend towards smart homes and voice control is gaining momentum.
Google, Google Home, Google Nest Audio and Google Nest Mini are trademarks of Google LLC. Nest Audio and Nest Mini require a Wi-Fi network,a nearby electrical outlet, a Google Account, and a compatible mobile device. Google Assistant-enabled device required.
Smart homes a major, rising trend
As Anders Hogh-Skov, product manager with OJ Electronics, explains: ‘Smart homes are not just the future – they’re already here. And we know that the trend will only grow stronger in the years to come. Right now, the total number of smart homes in the world is estimated at 258 million – and the US alone, it is expected that 40% of all households will be smart homes over the course of this year 2021. In Canada, that figure is around 28%. The demand is clearly there, and as ever we at OJ Electronics are happy to oblige – and to offer solutions that are as easy to handle for system builders and designers as they are for users’.
Connecting is easy
To launch voice control of the UWG4 range, installers and/or homeowners just follow a few easy steps to connect the thermostats to their home system. ‘You quite literally don’t need to do anything more than open an app!’ says Anders, ‘and we provide step-by-step instructions on how to connect the thermostat with Google Assistant and Alexa. You should also note that the feature is accessible on all WiFi-enabled UWG4 thermostats for floor heating, including those already installed – so you can give existing clients a nice surprise, too’.
Clever benefits
The new feature has several advantages for your OJ UWG4 customers. ‘Well, first of all, it’s about clever, convenient communication. Users can control their UWG4 thermostat simply by talking to their voice assistant. They can just say, “Ok Google, set the temperature to XX degrees” on a Google Assistant-enabled device to control their thermostat hands-free. No need to seek out individual thermostats or use your phone. We find that very soon, users see and explore new benefits, for example asking, “Alexa, what’s the temperature in the bathroom?” while still in bed and deciding on whether they’d like a bit more heat for that morning’s routine’.
Promotes energy efficiency
Such smart control can yield added benefits: ‘Voice control is not just about convenience, either’ says Anders. ‘Introducing voice control for thermostats has also proven to be energy-efficient, enabling end-users to save energy. Part of this has to do with the changes in behaviour this new technology promotes – and the added awareness of one’s own energy consumption patterns. Such awareness-raising is, I’m sure, something we all want to promote.
Launches in April
The software development process is now complete, and OJ Electronics has already launched the new feature. ‘Basically, we’ve flipped the switch so that all WiFi enabled UWG4 thermostats support voice assistants now,’ says Anders. ‘We hope that end-users will enjoy this new feature – and especially that our clients will benefit from being able to offer this hassle-free smart home option.’
The updated UWG4 benefits in brief
- Enables voice control for all WiFi enabled UWG4 thermostats – whether new or previously installed – simply follow these easy steps to connect
- Easy, touch-free temperature adjustment
- Supports overall trend towards smart homes
- Can promote energy efficiency
- Voice control with Google Assistant-enabled devices such as Google Nest Audio and Google Nest Mini.
- Compatible with Amazon Alexa enabled devices such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Plus
- Multilingual
How to connect? See exactly how to connect the UWG4 thermostat to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant-enabled devices here
You can find more details on the UWG4 range here and here OJ-UWG4-Connect-to-Google-Alexa-US-22