7 Smart Home Upgrades Under £30 That Actually Make a Difference

You do not need a full renovation to make your home smarter. A few affordable devices can automate your lighting, cut energy waste and add real security - and every one of these ideas costs less than £30.

1. Smart bulbs and LED strips

Swap your most-used bulbs for Wi-Fi RGB bulbs and add an LED strip behind the TV or desk. Control colours and schedules from your phone or by voice, and set scenes for movie nights or early mornings.

2. Smart plugs with energy monitoring

A smart plug turns any appliance into a smart one. Schedule lamps, switch the kettle on from bed, and use the energy monitoring feature to find out exactly what your devices cost to run.

3. Motion sensor night lights

Rechargeable PIR night lights stick anywhere - hallway, stairs, under the bed - and only switch on when someone walks past. No wiring, no waste.

4. Water leak and door sensors

Cheap insurance for your home: a leak sensor under the sink or a door sensor on the back gate sends an instant alert to your phone the moment something is wrong.

5. Smart light switches

If you prefer keeping normal bulbs, a smart switch makes the whole circuit controllable - schedules, voice control and away-from-home switching included.

6. Universal IR remote hub

One small hub replaces the remotes for your TV, fan and air conditioner, and lets your voice assistant control them too.

7. Video doorbell

Entry-level video doorbells now cost less than a takeaway for two. See who is at the door from anywhere, with two-way talk and motion alerts.

All of these are available in our Smart Home collection with free UK delivery on every order.