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Smart Home · FAQ

Smart home FAQ

Smart home systems run roughly $200 to $1,525 for typical installations per Angi's 2026 data, the clearest measurable savings come from an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat at around 8% of heating and cooling costs, and the biggest long-term risk is buying cloud-dependent hardware that stops working when a vendor pulls support.

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This category attracts more marketing than most, so it is worth separating what is measurable from what is preference. Energy and safety devices have documented value. Convenience is real but is a lifestyle purchase, not an investment.

Where an answer depends on your specific home — electrical wiring, permit requirements, network layout — we point you at the person who can actually check rather than guessing on your behalf.

How to choose

Start small and expand
One room, one month. It is the cheapest way to learn what you will actually use.
Prioritize devices that prevent loss
Leak sensors and smoke and CO detectors before anything else.
Prefer local control and Matter support
The two properties that most determine whether your system still works in five years.
Get an electrician for anything in the wall
Switch and outlet replacements are line-voltage work and may require a permit in your jurisdiction.
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Angi's 2026 data puts typical smart home systems at roughly $200 to $1,525, driven by device count and whether professional installation is involved. Whole-home automation with in-wall devices and wired cameras costs substantially more.
Some parts do. ENERGY STAR states certified smart thermostats save on average about 8% of heating and cooling costs, roughly $50 a year, and notes heating and cooling is nearly half of a typical household energy bill at over $900 annually. Most other devices are convenience, not savings.
It depends entirely on the devices. Cloud-dependent products stop responding; devices with local control on a hub keep running their automations. Ask this before buying anything you would rely on.
Plug-in devices, smart bulbs, battery sensors and hubs, yes. Anything replacing a switch or outlet is line-voltage electrical work, may require a permit, and often needs a neutral wire that older homes lack — get an electrician.
No connected device is risk-free. Use unique passwords and two-factor authentication on every account, keep firmware current, prefer local control, and be deliberate about where cameras and microphones go.
Sources

Where these figures come from

You know more than the last homeowner they quoted.

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