UK Smart Home Statistics 2026: Adoption, Devices & Trends

UK Smart Home Statistics: Key Facts

• 40% of UK households had a smart speaker in Q1 2025, according to Ofcom.
• 81% of UK households with a smart speaker had an Amazon Echo, making Alexa-equipped Echo devices the dominant smart-speaker brand among these households.
• 15% of smart-speaker households had a Google Home or Google Nest device.
• 19% of smart-speaker users used their speaker to control smart-home devices such as televisions or lighting.
• 27% of respondents reported smart video doorbells or security cameras in Ofcom's 2025 Technology Tracker.
• 12% reported smart lighting, heating or hot-water controls.
• 75% of properties in Great Britain had a smart electricity meter by the end of June 2026.
• 42 million smart and advanced meters were operating in homes and small businesses across Great Britain by the end of June 2026.
• 72% of all meters were smart or advanced meters by June 2026.
• 92% of the 40 million smart meters were operating in smart mode, meaning they were communicating remotely with the energy supplier.

Sources: Ofcom Media Nations 2025, Ofcom Technology Tracker 2025 and Department for Energy Security & Net Zero smart meter statistics, June 2026.

UK Smart Home Statistics Table

Note: These statistics come from different datasets and should not be added together. Ofcom figures relate to survey responses and UK households/respondents as specified by the source, while government smart-meter statistics cover Great Britain and include domestic and smaller non-domestic meters where stated.

How Many UK Households Have a Smart Speaker?

Four in ten UK households had a smart speaker in Q1 2025.

Ofcom's Media Nations 2025 report found smart-speaker household penetration at 40%.

Amazon was by far the leading smart-speaker brand.

Among households that owned a smart speaker:

• 81% had at least one Amazon Echo with Alexa.
• 15% had Google Home or Google Nest.
• 5% had Sonos.
• 3% had an Apple HomePod.

This means Amazon's Echo ecosystem had more than five times the household penetration of Google Home/Nest among UK smart-speaker households in Ofcom's survey.

Source: Ofcom, Media Nations 2025.

What Do People Use Smart Speakers For?

Although smart speakers can control lights, plugs, heating and other connected devices, entertainment remains one of their biggest uses.

Ofcom reported the following activities among smart-speaker users:

The 19% smart-home-control figure is particularly interesting. Smart speakers may be widespread, but many households still primarily use them for audio and information rather than sophisticated home automation.

How Popular Are Smart Security Cameras and Video Doorbells?

Security appears to be one of the strongest smart-home categories in the UK.

Ofcom's 2025 Technology Tracker found that 27% of respondents reported having smart-home video doorbells or security cameras, with examples in the survey including Ring, Nest and SimpliSafe.

That makes connected security substantially more prevalent in the survey than several other smart-home categories.

Separate smart-home security alarms were reported by 5%.

Video doorbells have become particularly attractive because a single product can combine a traditional doorbell with a camera, motion detection, smartphone notifications and two-way communication.

If you're considering one, see our Best Smart Home Security Gadgets UK guide.

How Popular Are Smart Lighting and Heating Controls?

Ofcom found that 12% of respondents had smart lighting, heating or hot-water controls that could be operated using a mobile app or smart speaker.

The category combines several different technologies, so it shouldn't be interpreted as meaning that 12% of households specifically own smart lighting or specifically own a smart thermostat.

Nevertheless, the statistic demonstrates that app-controlled home systems have already reached a significant section of the UK population.

Products in this category can include:

• Smart bulbs.
• Smart light switches.
• Smart thermostats.
• Smart radiator valves.
• Connected hot-water controls.

Energy management is one of the most practical reasons to introduce automation. See our Best Smart Home Gadgets for Saving Energy guide for examples.

How Many Homes Have Smart Meters?

Smart meters are one of the most widespread examples of connected technology in British homes.

The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero reported that at the end of June 2026 there were approximately 42 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses across Great Britain.

These represented approximately 72% of all meters.

Of the approximately 40 million smart meters, 92% were operating in smart mode, meaning they were communicating remotely with the customer's energy supplier.

75% of GB Properties Now Have a Smart Electricity Meter

The government also provides a useful way of estimating household smart-meter coverage.

Because virtually all homes use electricity while not every property is connected to the gas network, smart electricity meter coverage provides an approximation of household penetration.

At the end of June 2026:

• 75% of properties had a smart electricity meter.
• 71% had one operating in smart mode.
• 3.8% had a smart electricity meter operating in traditional mode.
• 25% still had a non-smart electricity meter.

Smart gas-meter penetration was lower.

57% of homes had a smart gas meter, while 25% had a non-smart gas meter and the remaining 18% had no gas meter.

Source: Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Smart Meters in Great Britain, quarterly update June 2026.

Smart Meter Installations Are Still Continuing

The smart-meter rollout is not finished.

Between April and June 2026, large energy suppliers installed approximately 1.1 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses.

Of those installations:

• Approximately 525,000 were new installations.
• Approximately 570,000 were replacements.

The growing number of replacement installations is noteworthy because the smart-meter programme is increasingly moving beyond first-time installation into maintaining and upgrading the existing installed base.

Smart Home Security Is One of the Leading Categories

One of the clearest findings in Ofcom's current data is the popularity of connected security.

At 27%, reported ownership of smart video doorbells and security cameras was more than twice the 12% reported for combined smart lighting, heating and hot-water controls.

There are several possible reasons for the appeal of security technology.

Products such as video doorbells provide an immediately understandable benefit: users can see who is at the door, receive alerts while away from home and potentially monitor parcel deliveries.

Security products can also work independently rather than requiring consumers to build an entire smart-home ecosystem.

Other Smart-Home Technology Ownership

Ofcom's Technology Tracker also provides useful information about less common connected-home technologies.

Source: Ofcom Technology Tracker 2025.

Smart Home Adoption Varies by Age

Ofcom's Technology Tracker also shows substantial differences between age groups.

For example, reported ownership of smart video doorbells/security cameras was:

• 30% among people aged 16–64.
• 13% among people aged 65+.
• 9% among people aged 75+.

A similar pattern appeared for smart lighting, heating and hot-water controls:

• 13% among people aged 16–64.
• 8% among people aged 65+.
• 4% among people aged 75+.

This suggests that adoption of several connected-home technologies remains considerably higher among younger consumers.

Smart Speakers Are Becoming Smart-Home Controllers

Smart speakers originally became popular primarily as voice-controlled audio devices, but they increasingly provide an entry point into larger smart-home ecosystems.

A compatible speaker or smart display can potentially provide control over:

• Smart lights.
• Smart plugs.
• Thermostats.
• Security cameras.
• Video doorbells.
• Smart locks.
• Robot vacuums.
• Sensors.

Ofcom's finding that 19% of smart-speaker users control smart-home devices suggests there remains considerable scope for more speaker owners to move from simple voice-assistant use into broader home automation.

For people doing exactly that, we've created a Best Smart Home Devices for Beginners guide.

What Is Driving UK Smart Home Adoption?

Smart-home adoption isn't being driven by a single product category.

Instead, connected technology is becoming part of several everyday household activities:

• Security: video doorbells, cameras and alarms.
• Entertainment: smart speakers and connected televisions.
• Energy: smart meters, thermostats and radiator controls.
• Convenience: smart plugs, lighting and voice control.
• Automation: sensors, routines and connected hubs.
• Cleaning: robot vacuum cleaners.

Consumers also no longer necessarily need to buy everything from one manufacturer.

Standards such as Matter are intended to improve interoperability between compatible smart-home products and major ecosystems.

See our Matter Smart Home Explained guide for more information.

What Are the Most Popular Smart Home Devices in the UK?

Available datasets don't provide one perfect ranking covering every smart-home product category using identical methodology.

However, current official data clearly shows widespread adoption of several technologies.

Smart speakers were present in 40% of UK households according to Ofcom's Q1 2025 data, while smart video doorbells/security cameras were reported by 27% of respondents in its Technology Tracker.

Meanwhile, smart electricity meters have reached approximately 75% of properties in Great Britain.

These figures shouldn't be directly ranked as if they came from a single survey because the definitions, samples and geographic coverage differ.

UK Smart Home Statistics: What the Data Tells Us

Several trends stand out from the available figures.

1. Smart-Home Technology Is Already Mainstream

When 40% of UK households have a smart speaker and around three-quarters of GB properties have a smart electricity meter, connected technology can no longer reasonably be considered a niche phenomenon.

2. Security Is a Major Entry Point

The 27% figure for smart video doorbells and security cameras indicates that security is one of the strongest consumer smart-home categories measured by Ofcom.

3. Amazon Dominates Smart Speakers

Amazon Echo's presence in 81% of smart-speaker households gives Alexa a particularly significant position within the UK connected-home ecosystem.

4. Smart-Home Control Still Has Room to Grow

Only 19% of smart-speaker users reported controlling smart-home devices through their speaker. That suggests a substantial proportion of owners are not yet using their devices as home-automation controllers.

5. Adoption Isn't Evenly Distributed

Ofcom's figures show lower adoption of several smart-home categories among older age groups, suggesting significant demographic differences remain.

UK Smart Home Statistics for Journalists and Publishers

If you're writing about smart homes, connected technology, home security or household energy, you may cite statistics from this page provided that Crown Product Reviews is credited with a link to this resource.

Suggested citation:

UK smart-home statistics compiled by Crown Product Reviews show that 40% of UK households had a smart speaker in Ofcom's Q1 2025 data, while 27% of respondents reported having smart video doorbells or security cameras in Ofcom's 2025 Technology Tracker.

Source: Crown Product Reviews, UK Smart Home Statistics 2026.

About This Data

This resource has been compiled by Crown Product Reviews using the latest authoritative UK data available at the time of publication.

Primary sources include:

• Ofcom Media Nations 2025 – smart-speaker household penetration, brands and usage.
• Ofcom Technology Tracker 2025 – ownership of smart-home technologies including security cameras, video doorbells, smart controls and connected alarms.
• Department for Energy Security & Net Zero – official statistics covering the smart-meter rollout in Great Britain.

Different datasets use different samples, definitions and geographic coverage. Figures should therefore be interpreted according to their individual source rather than combined to estimate total smart-home ownership.

Where a statistic relates to Great Britain rather than the entire United Kingdom, we have described it as GB rather than UK.

Primary Sources

• Ofcom – Media Nations 2025
• Ofcom – Technology Tracker research and data
• UK Government – Smart Meters in Great Britain, June 2026
• UK Government – Smart Meter Statistics Collection

Source links are provided so readers, researchers and journalists can verify the original statistics. Figures were checked when this page was updated in September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many UK households have smart-home devices?

There isn't a single current official statistic covering ownership of every possible smart-home device. However, Ofcom found that 40% of UK households had a smart speaker in Q1 2025, while 27% of respondents reported smart video doorbells or security cameras in its 2025 Technology Tracker.

How many UK households have a smart speaker?

Ofcom reported that 40% of UK households had a smart speaker in Q1 2025.

What is the most popular smart-speaker brand in the UK?

Amazon Echo dominates among smart-speaker households. Ofcom reported that 81% of households with a smart speaker had at least one Amazon Echo, compared with 15% having Google Home or Google Nest.

How popular are smart video doorbells in the UK?

Ofcom's 2025 Technology Tracker found that 27% of respondents reported smart video doorbells or security cameras. Because these products were grouped together in the survey, the figure shouldn't be interpreted as video-doorbell ownership alone.

How many British homes have smart meters?

By the end of June 2026, approximately 75% of properties in Great Britain had a smart electricity meter. Government statistics also recorded approximately 42 million smart and advanced meters across homes and small businesses.

Are smart homes becoming more popular?

Connected technology is already widespread across categories including speakers, security and energy. Continued smart-meter installation and the development of interoperability standards such as Matter are also expanding the infrastructure available for connected homes.

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