Smart lighting

Smart lights are popular smart devices, as they enable you to control your lights; turning them on or off, changing their intensity or even colour. As well as controlling them with your voice, you can also control them remotely using apps on your smartphone or home automation systems.

The benefits of smart lighting

For anyone living with sight loss, having the right lighting can help make the most of your useful vision if you have it, and make home life more comfortable. Things to consider for home lighting include:

• Have plenty of additional lighting for tasks such as reading, working, and cooking. 
• Reduce glare by ensuring bare bulbs are covered by lampshades.
• Ensure areas like hallways and stairs are well-lit to help with moving around safely. 
• Ensure overhead lighting provides good, even illumination of the room.
• Maintain even lighting levels across different areas of the home to avoid your eyes having to adjust between bright and low-lit spaces. You can do this by grouping multiple smart light bulbs in different rooms.
• Smart lighting means you can choose the exact type of lighting you need, using the app or voice commands to precisely control the brightness and colour hue.
• Smart bulbs have a long lifespan, so they rarely need to be changed.
• You can operate smart lighting with apps on your phone, which are generally accessible.

Smart light bulbs

Unlike traditional light bulbs, which you turn on and off at the wall, smart light bulbs can be controlled remotely using a smartphone, tablet, or voice assistants like Amazon's Alexa, Google Home and Apple's Siri. Smart light bulbs can also allow you to change the brightness and colour hue of the light, schedule a programme for lights to switch on and off automatically, and have the option to group lights in different parts of your home, for example upstairs and downstairs. 

Smart light bulbs come in a wide variety of types and sizes to fit existing bayonet, screw and spotlight fittings. You can also choose between white and colour-changing bulbs. 

One of the biggest benefits of smart light bulbs is convenience. You won't have to get up and find the light switch to turn lights on or off or adjust the brightness. You can simply tap the app or use a voice command. You can also program a schedule for your smart bulbs to switch on and off automatically or combine them with motion sensors which turn lights on when they detect movement. 

How do smart light bulbs work? 

Smart light bulbs connect to the internet using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a hub connected to your router, giving you remote control and functionality you don't get with traditional light bulbs. You can control them with your smartphone or tablet, and they're compatible with smart devices like Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home Kit, giving you voice control. 

If you're thinking about buying smart light bulbs, check that the brand you're considering is compatible with any smart home device you already use. If you want multiple smart bulbs around your home, choose a brand with an app that lets you group bulbs to control different rooms or zones easily. 

How much do they cost?

The initial expense of smart bulbs can be high compared with traditional bulbs, typically costing around £8 per bulb.  However, they’re energy-efficient and very long-lasting, and of course, they make it easy to check you haven't left the lights on in an empty house!

Smart strip lighting 

Smart strip lighting is a long strip of LED lights that can be positioned where needed. For example, using smart lighting such as a smart light strip in your kitchen, positioned under your kitchen cabinets, can allow you to have task lighting when you are preparing food in your kitchen. You can turn them on and off easily and tailor them specifically for your needs, i.e. intensity or colour. 

How much do they cost?

Smart strip lighting ranges in price depending on features, such as if they’re dimmable or able to change colour. On average, smart strip lights cost £20 - £100 per strip.

Smart switches

Smart switches replace existing light switches, and you may need an electrician to install them. However, smart light switches won't give you the full range of colours and hues available from smart bulbs.

How do smart switches work?

Smart switches replace your existing switches and allow you to operate them remotely – through either your mobile device or a smart speaker. However, they don’t change the functionality of the light bulb itself.

How much do they cost?

Smart switches can be cheaper than replacing every bulb with a smart one. For example, a smart light switch could be more affordable than replacing all the bulbs if you have light fittings with multiple bulbs. Smart switches cost around £20 - £75 each, however, it’s important to factor in the installation cost too.

Is smart lighting energy efficient?

Smart lighting is generally considered energy efficient:

• Smart light bulbs use energy-efficient LEDs.

• You can also use the features of smart lighting to check whether you left any lights on and turn them off remotely.  

• You can combine smart bulbs with motion sensors, to make lights go off when they sense there’s no one in the room.

• With voice or app control, when a light gets accidentally left on, it’s much easier to turn it off, even if you’re not at home.

Security and privacy

Security and privacy are concerns not only for smart lighting but for all smart devices. Having lots of different smart devices connected to your home network can leave you vulnerable if one of them has poor security. It's important to research the brand and products before purchasing. For more information, visit our online safety pages.

Edited and reviewed by Operations Technology Specialist Tommy Dean on 28/11/2024

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