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Smart home and lighting control, wired properly.
Lighting scenes, blinds, heating, security and AV that work together, planned at first fix by electricians and not tied to any one brand.
Send us your drawings or a room list and we will tell you what to wire now, what can wait, and what it will cost.
What a smart home can do
- Lighting scenes and dimming: one press for cooking, dining, film night or all off when you leave
- Blinds and curtains that open and close with the lights or the time of day
- Heating zones controlled room by room, from a keypad or your phone
- Security: CCTV, door entry and access on the same app
- Energy: solar and batteries and an EV charger working together
- Wi-Fi and data that reaches every room: professional Wi-Fi and structured cabling
Plan it at first fix, not after plastering
Most of the cost and disruption of a smart home is in the cables, not the gadgets. Wired systems, and the wired keypads and lighting panels of the bigger wireless ones, need cables run back to a central cupboard before the walls are closed up. Getting that right at first fix is what we do best:
- A neutral at every switch position, and deep back boxes, so any smart switch or keypad will fit
- A central equipment cupboard with power, ventilation and a route to your broadband
- Cat6 data to each room, TV position, Wi-Fi access point and camera
- Power over Ethernet for access points, cameras and keypads, which the latest Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2018+A4:2026) now cover in a new section of their own
- LED circuits that dim properly: compatible drivers and trailing-edge dimmers, one lamp type per circuit
- Labelled circuits and a schedule, so whoever programmes the system knows exactly what is where
Renovating? See why it pays to hire your own electrician, not the builder’s.
Our picks: Lutron RadioRA, HomeWorks and Rako
1. Lutron RadioRA (RadioRA 3 for new systems) is our usual recommendation for lighting and blinds in a typical family home. It is largely wireless, using Lutron’s own Clear Connect radio, so it suits existing homes as well as new builds, and the keypads are well made and easy for everyone in the house to use. It handles up to about 400 devices.
2. Lutron HomeWorks is the step up for very large homes and estates, with wired and wireless options and capacity for up to 10,000 zones, for when lighting, blinds and keypads need to run across the whole property.
3. Rako is a British lighting control system from Kent that can be wired, wireless or a mix of both. It is flexible and good value, which makes it a strong choice for a kitchen-diner, an extension or a few key rooms, and it scales to a whole home.
Lutron RadioRA 2 or RadioRA 3?
RadioRA 2 was Lutron’s wireless lighting system for over a decade, and many homes still have it. Lutron retired it in June 2023, and RadioRA 3 is its replacement. Here is how they compare:
| Lutron RadioRA 2 | Lutron RadioRA 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Retired by Lutron in June 2023; maintenance updates ended June 2024 and security updates June 2025 | Lutron’s current system, launched in the UK in January 2025 |
| Radio (UK) | Lutron Clear Connect at 868 MHz, extended by repeaters | Clear Connect at 868 MHz plus a 2.4 GHz mesh (Clear Connect Type X) |
| System size | Built around main repeaters; around 200 devices on a larger system | Up to four processors; Lutron UK quotes up to 400 devices |
| Keypads and controls | seeTouch keypads and the older range | Vierti keypads (made for Europe), Pico remotes, dimmers, sensors and Lumaris tape light |
| App and smart home | Lutron Connect app through a bridge; Apple Home, Alexa and Sonos | Lutron app; Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, Sonos and Ring, and links to Control4, Crestron and Savant |
| Set-up software | RadioRA 2 software, now archived | Lutron Designer, unlocked by Lutron’s RadioRA 3 training |
| Best for | Looking after an existing RadioRA 2 installation | New installations and upgrades |
Already have RadioRA 2? It will keep working, and we can look after it and replace failed parts while stock is available. But with Lutron’s security updates ended in June 2025, we recommend planning a move to RadioRA 3, especially if you want to add rooms or newer smart home features. Whether your existing keypads and dimmers can be carried over depends on the exact models, so we check the system with Lutron before quoting an upgrade. See RadioRA 2 repairs and upgrades.
Smart home and lighting control systems compared: our picks, then by cost
| System | Rough cost | Made by | Wired or wireless | Best for | Who installs it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lutron RadioRA 3Our pick #1 | £££ | Lutron | Wireless, with wired options | Lighting and blinds, up to about 400 devices | Programmed by Lutron-trained installers |
| Lutron HomeWorksOur pick #2 | ££££ | Lutron | Wired and wireless | Very large homes, up to 10,000 zones | Lutron certified installers only |
| RakoOur pick #3 | ££ | Rako Controls (UK) | Wired, wireless or hybrid | Lighting control, from a few rooms to whole homes | Trained installers |
| Philips Hue and Matter | £ | Signify; Matter is an open standard | Wireless | Budget, add-on and DIY-friendly | Anyone |
| Loxone | ££ | Loxone (Austria) | Wired (Tree) and wireless (Air) | Whole-home, mid to premium | Loxone partners; electricians can join |
| DALI-2 | ££ | Open standard (DALI Alliance) | Wired two-wire bus | Lighting control in larger homes and commercial | Standard wholesale products |
| KNX | ££–£££ | Open standard (KNX Association) | Mostly wired bus, also wireless and IP | Whole-home and commercial; very flexible | Any trained installer; set up in ETS software |
| Control4 | £££ | Snap One | Wired and wireless | Whole-home automation and AV | Authorised dealers only |
| Savant | ££££ | Savant (owner of GE Lighting) | Wired and wireless | Premium whole-home and AV | Mainly through authorised dealers |
| Crestron Home | ££££ | Crestron | Wired and wireless | Premium whole-home and AV | Usually through Crestron dealers |
Rough cost is our guide to equipment and programming for a typical home, cheapest first: £ is a few hundred pounds of add-on kit, ££££ is a premium whole-home project. The real figure depends far more on the size of the home and how much it controls than on the brand. Our three picks are listed first, in order; the rest run cheapest first. Checked October 2026; brands change their dealer rules, so we confirm before quoting.
Which system suits you?
- A few rooms of better lighting in an existing home: Rako or Lutron RadioRA 3, fitted to your existing switch positions.
- New build, extension or full renovation: a wired backbone (KNX, DALI or a wired keypad system), planned at first fix.
- A large home where lighting and blinds matter most: Lutron HomeWorks.
- Whole-home automation with cinema and multi-room audio: a premium platform such as Control4, Savant or Crestron, with a certified integrator for programming and SEG for the electrical side.
- Budget or rented homes: Philips Hue or Matter-compatible products, which need no rewiring.
Home cinema and AV wiring
For cinemas, media rooms and multi-room audio we install the dedicated circuits, data, speaker cabling, back boxes and containment, coordinated with your AV integrator so the equipment goes in on time and the cables are where the drawings say they are.
Cinema rooms in Hampstead and Radlett, projects led by our director Michael Simm.
Where we work
We install smart lighting and controls across St Albans, Harpenden, Radlett, Berkhamsted, Rickmansworth, Chorleywood and the rest of Hertfordshire, plus Buckinghamshire and North and West London.
Private homes, lit properly
See more in private homes in Totteridge, Radlett and Hampstead.
Smart home questions we’re asked
Can you add smart lighting to an existing home?
Yes. Wireless systems can often replace existing switches and dimmers with little disruption. The main checks are whether there is a neutral at each switch, whether the back boxes are deep enough, and whether your LED lamps and drivers dim properly. We survey first and tell you what will work without chasing walls.
Wired or wireless: which is better?
For a new build, extension or major renovation, wired (or wired with some wireless) is the most reliable and future-proof, because the cables are in before plastering. For an existing home you want to keep intact, a good wireless system is usually the better choice.
Do I need a neutral at my light switches?
Many smart switches and dimmers need one, and older UK homes often only have a switched live at the switch. It is not a Wiring Regulations requirement, but we run a neutral to every switch position on new work so you are not limited later.
Why do my LED downlights flicker on a dimmer?
Usually because the dimmer and the LED driver are not compatible, or the load is below the dimmer’s minimum. Trailing-edge dimmers generally suit LEDs better than older leading-edge types. We check the manufacturers’ compatibility lists and keep to one lamp type per circuit.
Do you install Control4, Lutron or Crestron?
These platforms are programmed by the brand’s certified installers. We do the electrical design, cabling, power, data and installation, and work alongside your integrator, or introduce one. Open systems such as KNX and DALI, and the smart-ready wiring for any system, we handle ourselves.
Should I upgrade from Lutron RadioRA 2 to RadioRA 3?
Not urgently if it works, but it is worth planning. Lutron retired RadioRA 2 in June 2023 and stopped security updates in June 2025, so spares will get harder to find and new features will only come to RadioRA 3. We can survey your system, check with Lutron which parts can be reused, and quote the upgrade clearly.
How much does smart lighting cost?
It depends mostly on the size of the home and how much you want to control, then on the system. From cheapest to most expensive, the rough order is Philips Hue and Matter, then Rako, Loxone and DALI, then KNX and Lutron RadioRA 3, then Control4, and at the top Lutron HomeWorks, Savant and Crestron. Send us your drawings or room list and we will quote clearly, with options.
Sources
- KNX Association, What is KNX?
- DALI Alliance, Introducing DALI
- Lutron, Which Lutron residential system is best for me?, RadioRA 3 (UK) and residential product lifecycle policy
- Smart Buildings Magazine, Lutron introduces RadioRA 3 in the UK
- Snap One, Control4 product and services policies
- Savant, Business policy
- Loxone, Partner programme
- Rako Controls, Training
- Connectivity Standards Alliance, Matter 1.6
- BSI, BS 7671:2018+A4:2026
Written by SEG. Last updated 11 October 2026.
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