The SimpliSmart blog
Smart home guides, costs & ideas
Straight answers on what a Home Assistant smart home really costs, why we build local-first, and how to turn a drawer of apps into one system you own.
Home Assistant installer in Leeds: what a local setup actually involves
What a proper Home Assistant installation in Leeds actually includes, from the first survey to handover. Local hardware you own, works offline, built for real West Yorkshire housing stock.
6 July 2026
Aqara Wall Outlet H2 (UK): proper power monitoring in a socket that does not phone home
A double UK wall outlet with USB-C, per-socket energy monitoring and Zigbee support. Here is where the Aqara Wall Outlet H2 UK earns its place in a local-first Home Assistant home, and where it does not.
30 June 2026
Does a smart home still work when the internet goes down?
Most smart homes stop the moment broadband drops. A local-first Home Assistant setup does not. Here is what keeps running without the internet, and what you briefly lose.
29 June 2026
How much does a smart home cost in the UK? A 2026 price guide
Real UK smart home price bands for 2026, what actually drives the cost, and how to get a system that lasts without paying for lock-in.
29 June 2026
How to choose a smart home installer near you in the UK
A practical checklist for picking a smart home installer in the UK. The questions to ask, the red flags to avoid, and why local-first matters more than the logo on the box.
29 June 2026
A smart home without the cloud: why local-first beats cloud-locked
Cloud-dependent smart homes stop working when the internet drops or a company shuts a service down. Here is why we build local-first on Home Assistant.
28 June 2026
From a drawer of apps to one system: unifying a piecemeal smart home
Bought smart devices one at a time and now juggle five apps? Here is how we unify Hue, Nest, Ring and the rest into a single home that just works.
27 June 2026