Protecting Homeowners Belongings During Peak Travel Season

The holiday season is synonymous with travel. In fact, AAA projected that over 115 million Americans traveled for the 2023 holiday season. More homeowners are getting ‘smart’ when it comes to keeping an eye on their homes while they’re away. The latest homeowners survey from Nationwide reveals an uptick in smart home tech adoption by homeowners. One of the greatest benefits for 61% of homeowners with a smart home device is the peace of mind and protection that these products can provide.    

“Given that this period sees the highest travel rates of the year, having the right tech to safeguard your belongings and ensure your home remains energy efficient while away becomes crucial,” said Sarah Jacobs, Nationwide’s SVP Personal Lines of Product and Underwriting. “Most users say the devices help reduce some anxiety and we are seeing that they can be greatly effective in detecting issues.”   

Smart home technologies offer significant benefits while traveling away from home such as:  

• 47% of homeowners feel that smart devices protect the user and their family 
• 42% of homeowners can control smart home preferences from a mobile app 
• 35% of homeowners utilize smart home devices to monitor and optimize their energy usage 

The devices that will provide the greatest impact are ones that will detect and prevent a problem before it becomes a bigger issue. Monitoring for issues that can lead to fires, or catching a water leak early will save you from the costliest repairs. If you don’t know where to start, check-in with your agent because the majority (84%) recommend to their customers to purchase smart home products to manage risks to their home.   

Data from Nationwide on smart home users:   

• 61% of homeowners use smart home products to enhance home security  
• 41% of homeowners cited a reduction in anxiety as a key reason for investing in these smart technologies 

One easy way to detect a possible electrical fire before they start is with a Ting sensor, which monitors a home’s electrical system for potential fire hazards. Nationwide has put 50,000 Ting electrical monitoring sensors into homes across the country that have helped prevent close to 800 potential home fires. In addition to helping prevent fires, Ting offers members information like power outage alerts, hazardous utility power notifications, and potential frozen pipe alerts.  

“Whether at home or away, detecting and preventing electrical fire hazards—most of which are hidden—is essential for both safety and peace of mind," said Bob Marshall, co-founder and CEO of Whisker Labs. "We're proud to partner with Nationwide to expand free access to Ting, helping more families protect their homes during the holiday travel season and beyond” 

Nationwide partnered with Ting, developed by Whisker Labs, in 2022 and is expanding this program to more homeowners to receive the sensor and service at no cost in 44 states. Those eligible will receive a sensor, the Ting app, 5 years of free fire prevention service, and a $1,000 credit for repair of Ting-identified hazards.  

Prioritizing the right smart tech products can do so much more than saving financially, it’s about enjoying your holiday travel stress free.  

Available in: AR, CA, DE, GA, IA, IN, KS, MD, MI, MO, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, AL, AZ, CO, CT, DC, FL, ID, IL, KY, MA, MN, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OR, RI, VT, WI, WY 

Check to see if you are eligible for the device: click here.