Smart home work in Australia: what you can do, and what needs an electrician
Plenty of home automation needs no tools at all. The parts that touch fixed wiring are a different matter.
Overseas videos make it look normal to open a light switch and add a smart relay behind it. In Australia, electrical work on the fixed wiring of a home must be done by a licensed electrician. The details vary a little between states and territories, but the safe default is simple: if it involves mains wiring, it is not a DIY job.
Usually fine to do yourself
A great deal of useful automation involves nothing that is wired in:
- Plug-in smart plugs and power monitors
- Battery-powered sensors for doors, windows, motion, temperature, humidity and leaks
- Zigbee, Thread and Wi-Fi hubs or dongles that plug into a server or power point
- Smart speakers, displays and wall tablets on plug-in power
- Software: Home Assistant itself, integrations, dashboards and automations
- Integrations with equipment that is already installed, such as an inverter, air-conditioner or hot water unit that offers a supported connection
Needs a licensed electrician
- Replacing wall switches with smart switches or dimmers
- Relays or modules installed behind switches, in ceilings or in the switchboard
- New circuits, power points or hard-wired devices
- Hard-wired EV chargers
- Energy meters or current clamps installed inside the switchboard
Solar inverters and home batteries are installed by accredited installers, and export limits are often set by the local network. Changing inverter or battery modes through an approved integration is normal; changing protection or grid settings is not something to experiment with.
Buy products made for Australia
Look for devices sold for the Australian market, rated for 230–240 V and 50 Hz, and carrying the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM). Cheap imported modules can work well in software and still be unsafe or non-compliant when installed.
Make the electrician’s job easy
An electrician is paid to install hardware safely, not to design your automations. A clear brief saves time on the day:
- The exact product, model and quantity for each location
- Whether each switch needs a neutral, and whether the chosen module requires one
- Which circuits and rooms are involved
- How each switch should behave if the network or server is offline
- Photos of the switchboard and the existing switch plates
Keep safety systems independent
Smoke alarms, safety switches and monitored security systems must do their job on their own. Home Assistant can watch them and notify you, but it should never be the thing that makes them work.
This article is general information, not electrical or legal advice. Check the rules in your state or territory and speak to a licensed electrician before any wiring work.