Smart home: lighting, controls and wiring

Wireless systems use Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave or Thread to link switches, sensors and a hub or app. They suit existing homes because they need little or no new cabling. The newer Matter standard aims to let devices from different brands work together, but check that every device you want is supported rather than assume it.

Wired systems run control cables to each switch, sensor and blind motor, and connect them to a central controller. They are more reliable and do not depend on a manufacturer's cloud service, but they only make sense when walls are open anyway: during a rewire, an extension or a new build. Many homes end up with a wired backbone in new parts and wireless devices elsewhere.

Most smart light switches need a permanent supply to power their own electronics. In many older British homes the lighting circuit has no neutral conductor at the switch, only a switched live. Some smart switches work without a neutral but can make certain lamps flicker; others need extra wiring or a relay at the ceiling rose. The electrician should check the wiring at your switches before you buy a set of devices.

Dimmers must match the lamps: many LED lamps flicker or buzz on dimmers designed for old filament bulbs. Replacing switches and fittings like for like is not notifiable under Part P, but it still involves working on live circuits and belongs with a competent electrician, particularly in bathrooms. Adding new circuits for a central controller or data cabinet is notifiable.

Since 29 April 2024, manufacturers, importers and retailers of consumer connectable products in the UK must meet basic security requirements: no universal default or easily guessable passwords, a published way to report security problems, and a stated minimum period for security updates. EV charge points and smart meters are covered by their own rules instead. Check the stated update period before buying; a device that no longer receives updates is a weak point on your home network.

Electrical Safety First also advises checking how long a smart product will be supported and keeping the software updated. Ask the installer what happens if a manufacturer's cloud service is switched off: which functions still work locally and which stop.

Cameras and doorbells raise a different question. If a camera records beyond your property boundary, for example the pavement or a neighbour's garden, data protection law applies to you, so position and settings matter.

Source: gov.uk

Smart thermostats and radiator valves are often fitted by a heating engineer rather than an electrician, especially where the boiler wiring changes. Work on a gas boiler's internal wiring is for a Gas Safe registered engineer. Smart smoke and heat alarms can link rooms together; in rented homes, check that the system meets the landlord's alarm obligations. If you plan solar panels, a battery or an EV charger, choose a system that can read and control them, or at least leave room for it.

• what you want to control: lighting, heating, blinds, sockets, security, energy
• whether you prefer one app or can live with several
• the Wi-Fi coverage in the house and where the router sits
• photos of a few light switches with the faceplate on, and of the consumer unit
• whether walls will be opened for other work
• which devices you already own

Describe the rooms and functions, confirm your phone number and email, and electricians in your area see the job without your identity. One firm can buy it, and then no one else is offered it. The firm pays Offrano; you pay nothing.

We email you the firm's name, address and phone number before it sees your details. If no firm buys it within 21 days, the request is withdrawn. Offrano checks only that buyers are registered businesses, so ask the electrician which systems it installs regularly and how it handles support after installation.