If you’ve started adding smart gadgets to your home — like voice-controlled lights, video doorbells, or Wi-Fi thermostats — you’re not alone.
Across Basingstoke, Chineham, and Bramley, homeowners are discovering just how convenient and efficient smart technology can be. But here’s the catch: as clever as these devices are, they’re only as reliable as the wiring, circuits, and power that feed them.
So, before you fill your home with more tech, it’s worth asking: is your electrical system ready for it?
Here’s what to check — and how an experienced electrician can futureproof your home for whatever comes next.
Start with your consumer unit
The heart of your electrical system is your consumer unit (or fuse box). If it’s more than 10–15 years old, it probably wasn’t designed for the way we live today — let alone tomorrow’s smart homes.
Modern consumer units include:
- RCDs (Residual Current Devices) to protect you from electric shock
- Surge protection, which guards against power spikes caused by smart devices, EV chargers, or solar systems
- Circuit breakers instead of old-fashioned fuses, making it safer and easier to reset
If your board looks like something from the 1990s or still uses fuse wire, upgrading it is the first step to a smarter, safer, and more reliable home.
Plan for more power-hungry devices
Smart homes aren’t necessarily high users of electricity, but they do add more devices — and more demand on your circuits.
Smart lighting, underfloor heating, EV chargers, home offices, and solar batteries all need their own stable power supply.
A qualified electrician can assess your current setup, test your load capacity, and ensure there’s enough space and strength in your system to handle future additions.
That way, when you decide to add solar panels or a car charger in Cliddesden or Laverstoke, your system’s already prepared.
Upgrade your wiring and sockets
Old wiring can cause headaches for modern tech. It wasn’t designed to carry today’s electrical loads or integrate with data cabling and smart switches.
If your property’s wiring is 20 years old or more, or you’ve noticed flickering lights or warm sockets, it’s worth booking an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
This inspection checks the condition of your cables, circuits, and earthing — and highlights anything that needs updating before it becomes a problem.
While you’re at it, think about socket placement. Smart homes often need more sockets (and sometimes USB outlets). Adding a few extra in the right places can save you endless extension leads later.
Get your connectivity right
Smart tech depends on a solid internet connection — but it also helps to have structured cabling in place.
For homeowners in Ellisfield and Preston Candover, running CAT6 data cabling alongside electrical work allows you to connect TVs, security cameras, and smart hubs without relying on patchy Wi-Fi.
If you’re renovating or rewiring, that’s the ideal time to futureproof with extra conduits and network points.
Think ahead to renewable tech
The future of home energy is electric — solar panels, home batteries, and EV chargers are fast becoming standard.
Even if you’re not ready to install them yet, a forward-thinking electrician can pre-wire your home and leave connection points ready for when you are.
That small step can save time, money, and disruption later on. It’s the difference between ripping up floors again in five years and simply plugging in the next upgrade.
Why professional advice matters
You don’t have to know every technical detail — you just need the right people to guide you.
At GU Solutions, we’ve been helping homeowners across Basingstoke, Chineham, and the surrounding Hampshire villages prepare their homes for the future for over 20 years.
We’re NICEIC Approved Contractors, experienced in everything from rewiring and consumer unit upgrades to solar and EV integration.
We’ll assess your home, talk through your future plans, and make sure your electrical system is ready — not just for today’s gadgets, but for the technologies still to come.
Book your smart home electrical review
Whether you’re planning a renovation, thinking about solar, or just tired of tripping over tangled leads, now’s the time to futureproof your home.
Call GU Solutions on 01256 473326 or send us a message to book your home electrical and smart tech readiness review.
We’ll make sure your electrics are safe, efficient, and built to handle whatever tomorrow brings.
Because the smartest homes aren’t the ones with the most gadgets — they’re the ones that are ready for the future.
