Smart controls that still work in two years.
Heating controls, smart switches, sensors and automation — wired in properly and set up so the rest of the household can use them without being talked through it.
The bit that decides whether you like it
Smart kit fails for boring reasons: it needs a neutral at the switch and there isn’t one, the wi-fi doesn’t reach, or it works beautifully for the person who set it up and confuses everybody else in the house.
So the first question isn’t which brand. It’s whether your wiring supports it, and whether the thing still works when the internet is down.
Smart switches need a neutral
Most smart switches need a permanent live and a neutral at the switch position. Plenty of UK lighting circuits only have switched live and neutral at the ceiling rose, not at the switch. Where the neutral isn’t there, the options are running one, using a fitting-based device instead, or choosing a no-neutral switch and accepting its limitations. We check before you buy anything.
Keep a manual override
Anything that controls heating, hot water or lighting should still be operable by hand. Fully app-only controls become a real problem when the router dies, the battery goes, or a visitor needs the lights on.
What we install
- Heating controls — smart thermostats and zone controls wired in and commissioned, replacing old programmers.
- Smart lighting — switches, dimmers and fitting-level control, with neutrals run where they’re missing.
- Sensors and automation — occupancy, daylight and door sensors driving lighting or heating rather than being a novelty.
- Sockets and outlets — USB-C sockets, switched outlets for appliances, and outdoor smart sockets.
- Integration with the rest of it — tying an EV charger or battery storage into the same setup so charging follows cheap-rate or solar generation.
Where smart genuinely pays
Heating control is the one with a real return — zoning and scheduling a house that previously ran on one thermostat changes the bill. Charging an EV or a battery on off-peak rates is the other. Most of the rest is convenience, which is a perfectly good reason to want it, just not a payback calculation.
We’ll say when something isn’t worth it. Smart bulbs in a room whose switch gets turned off at the wall, for example, are a recurring source of irritation — a smart switch is nearly always the better answer.
Things people ask
Will smart switches work with my existing wiring?
It depends whether there’s a neutral at the switch. Many UK lighting circuits don’t have one. We check first and tell you whether it’s a straight swap, needs a cable running, or is better solved at the light fitting.
Does it all stop working if the internet goes down?
Well-specified kit keeps working locally — schedules run and switches still switch. We avoid setups where losing the router means losing control of your heating or lights.
Can you set it up as well as install it?
Yes. Installed, commissioned and configured, and we’ll walk whoever else lives there through it. A system only one person can operate isn’t finished.
Can it work with an EV charger or solar?
Yes — that’s where it gets genuinely useful, scheduling charging to off-peak rates or to when your solar is generating.