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A curved modern Australian home at dusk, LED strip lighting under the eaves and along the garden steps, the open living room glowing warmly behind glass doors.
← All guides Lighting and energy controls

Lighting your home for less

LED lighting, controls that switch lights off for you, and a monitor that shows where your power goes. These guides cover where lighting fits in a bigger plan, and why every electrician asks about your switchboard.

3 guides

Guides for this upgrade

Start with the guide that matches what you're dealing with now. Each one stands on its own, with links to related topics where they overlap.

An energy assessor going through a report on a tablet with a couple at their kitchen bench
Start here14 min read

The right order to upgrade your home

Insulation before heat pump sizing, sealing before ventilation, and solar later than you would think. The dependencies nobody explains before you are quoted.

Updated 22 August 2026Read →
An electrician kneeling at a new switchboard in a garage, a home battery beside it
Switchboard6 min read

Why every quote mentions your switchboard

What your switchboard may need before solar, batteries, EV charging or going all electric, and why the same line keeps appearing in quotes.

Updated 4 August 2026Read →
Two installers fitting a home battery and inverter beside a switchboard in a garage
Solar and battery12 min read

Is a battery worth it yet, honestly?

The arithmetic in plain terms, why the answer changed, and the two households where it still does not stack up.

Updated 20 August 2026Read →

3 upgrades

What’s involved in lighting and energy controls

These are the main upgrades that can be involved in lighting a home for less and seeing where the power goes. You can also use these categories to find businesses that specialise in the work you need.

01 LED lighting upgradesOld halogen downlights and fluorescent tubes swapped for LEDs through the house. They use less power, run cooler and last much longer.
02 Smart lighting controlsSensors, timers, smart switches and dimmers, so lights go off in empty rooms and only come on when they’re needed.
03 Home energy monitoringA monitor fitted at the switchboard that shows what the house is using, and what the solar is making, as it happens. You can finally see which appliances use the most.

When you know which upgrade you need, find businesses that specialise in that work and service your area.

Find lighting and energy control specialists

When you’re ready for help

Find the right help for your next step.

Get a whole-home plan

A home energy assessor can look at your whole home, identify the biggest opportunities and help you work out what to tackle first to make it more comfortable, efficient and cheaper to run.

Find an assessor near you

Find the right specialist

Once you know which upgrade you need, find a business that specialises in that type of work and services your area.

Find a specialist near you