Career expansion and new business opportunities – why electricians need a smart home qualification
Posted by: electime 27th August 2026
By Matt Nimmons, CEDIA EMEA Managing Director
The UK smart home market is worth £3.1 billion but is served by under 4,000 professionals*. Yet many trade professionals still think smart home installations are the exclusive territory of IT specialists or AV engineers. And so, they’re walking away from one of the fastest-growing revenue streams in the build industry.
A market worth billions, served by a fraction of the workforce it needs
The imbalance between a growing demand and a limited number of certified professionals means that those who upskill now can lead the field and attract high-value projects.
In addition, the Trade Skills Index projects that the country will need an estimated 104,000 additional electricians by 2032. The demand is real, and smart home work, which commands premium day rates and repeat business from homeowners investing in long-term systems, is sitting largely untapped.
The misconceptions holding people back
I hear a lot of electricians say that smart home installation is simply “not really their area”, or they don’t know where to start “with the tech side”. Both responses reveal the same misunderstanding.
Smart home installation is not a new, solitary profession. It is simply an electrical trade profession that has incorporated smart technology. The core competencies, like reading technical drawings, installing cabling infrastructure, mounting and commissioning equipment, and troubleshooting on-site, are skills that qualified electricians already possess. The smart home layer sits on top of that foundation, not beneath it.
Another misconception is that smart home training requires lengthy training and a huge time investment. But most professionals already come with the foundational skills and only need specific additional knowledge enabling them to operate confidently in a smart home environment. The jump from competent electrician to smart home installer is not a leap; it is a step. And it can significantly increase earning potential.
A great example is Ben Pratt, now Director of luxury AV installation company White Onyx Automation, who started as an electrician. He came into contact with the smart home industry through a project, and after, he began to enrol in training sessions and teach himself about the industry. A few years on, he founded his own smart installation company, which won him the CEDIA newcomer award in 2024.
Upskilling to smart home installations is not a career pivot — it’s a natural next step
I speak to a lot of trade professionals who are concerned that offering smart home services means giving up other work streams. But a builder who can offer a smart heating package alongside a renovation quote is more competitive. An electrician who can advise on whole-home networking while rewiring a kitchen is more valuable to that client. A plumber who understands how smart heating controls integrate with a new boiler installation is solving problems that others cannot. These are not niche specialisms; they are straightforward differentiators in a market where homeowners increasingly expect connected solutions as standard.
Demand for smart home technology is not a trend on the horizon. At CEDIA, we can see that it has already arrived. The tradespeople who recognise this early, and who invest even a few days in structured training, will be the ones fielding the calls that others do not know how to answer.
* CEDIA, 2025 Professional Smart Home Market Analysis
To find out more about CEDIA’s Smart Home Essentials training pathway and entry routes for tradespeople, visit https://cedia.org/smart-home-professionals/education/
Courses are designed for working professionals and can be completed around existing commitments.
