Electrical · Updated August 2026
Smart Home Installation Cost UK 2026: Priced by System
A smart thermostat costs £150–£350 fitted, smart lighting £100–£300 per room, a solid starter package (heating, a few rooms of lighting, video doorbell) £500–£1,500, and professionally integrated whole-house systems £2,000–£10,000+.
Smart home cost by system — 2026
Fitted prices including devices, by a qualified installer or electrician where wiring is involved.
| System | Typical fitted cost | Running cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart thermostat / heating controls | £150–£350 | — | The one with a measurable payback |
| Smart lighting (per room) | £100–£300 | — | Bulb-based cheap, switch-based cleaner |
| Video doorbell + smart locks | £150–£500 | £0–£8 / month | Cloud storage is the subscription trap |
| Starter package (heating + lights + door) | £500–£1,500 | varies | The sensible first project |
| Whole-house integration | £2,000–£10,000+ | varies | Multi-room AV, blinds, scenes, one app |
Indicative 2026 UK prices, compiled from published installer pricing (Checkatrade, MyJobQuote, MyBuilder and BookaBuilder cost guides, August 2026). BestBuilders has no quote history in this category yet, so treat these as a budgeting guide and confirm against three written quotes.
What changes the cost
| Cost factor | Typical impact | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Wired vs wireless | ±50% | Retrofit wireless kit installs in hours; wired systems mean chasing cables and redecorating |
| Ecosystem choice | lock-in, not cost | Pick Google, Apple or Alexa first - mixing ecosystems is where smart homes go to be annoying |
| Electrical work needed | £45–£80 / point | Smart switches need neutral wires many UK homes lack; an electrician solves it per switch |
| Subscriptions | £0–£15 / month | Camera storage and monitoring plans outcost the hardware within years - check before buying |
| Heating system compatibility | check first | Combi, system boiler or heat pump each suit different smart controls |
Smart home installation cost by UK region — 2026
Modelled from regional labour rates rather than measured in this category — materials cost much the same everywhere, the labour does not.
| Region | Typical cost | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|
| London | £620–£1,950 | +25–30% |
| South East | £580–£1,800 | +15–20% |
| South West | £520–£1,580 | +5% |
| Midlands | £500–£1,500 | baseline |
| North England | £450–£1,420 | −5–10% |
| Scotland | £450–£1,350 | −10% |
| Wales | £450–£1,350 | −10% |
| Northern Ireland | £420–£1,280 | −15% |
Getting it priced properly
1. Start with heating
A smart thermostat is the only smart device with a hard payback - it trims a real percentage off the gas bill and proves the concept for a modest spend.
2. Pick the ecosystem before any device
Every device you buy is a vote. Decide Google/Apple/Alexa up front and buy only what works natively with it.
3. Count the subscriptions
Total the monthly fees of everything in the basket over five years. That number, not the hardware price, is the real cost.
What this costs at a glance
The same table, drawn.
Smart home — frequently asked questions
A worthwhile starter setup - smart heating, a few rooms of lighting and a video doorbell - costs £500–£1,500 fitted in 2026. Whole-house professional integration runs £2,000–£10,000+.
Yes - it is the one smart device with a measurable payback. Schedules, zoning and presence detection typically trim a real percentage off heating bills, repaying the £150–£350 install within a few winters.
For plug-in and bulb-based kit, no. For smart switches (which often need a neutral wire UK circuits lack), wired cameras or new circuits - yes, and it prices per point.
The one your household's phones already use, decided before the first purchase. Mixing Google, Apple and Alexa devices works on paper and disappoints in practice.
Related cost guides
Cylinders priced, vented and unvented.
Combi, system and heat-only swaps priced.
UFH priced per m2, wet and electric.
Reviewed by the BestBuilders editorial team on 18 August 2026 · Next scheduled review: November 2026 · See our editorial standards.