How to build a smart-home power setup without an electrician (2026 guide)

Making your home smart used to mean one of two things: a drawer full of cheap plug-in adapters cluttering every socket, or a proper installation that needs an electrician, a day booked off work and an invoice to match. There is now a third way. This is a practical guide to building a smart-home power setup yourself — no electrician, no rewiring and no tools — using a modular system you click together like building blocks. If you can spare thirty minutes, you have enough time to finish.

Why a traditional smart home needs an electrician

The moment you want to control power at the wall — a proper outlet rather than a plug-in dongle — you are into fixed electrical wiring. In most of Europe that work has to be carried out and certified by a qualified electrician. It is the right rule: mains voltage is not something to improvise with. But it comes at a cost. You wait for an appointment, you pay for the visit, and every future change — a new socket by the desk, a smart outlet in the bedroom — means booking them again. For most people, that friction is the reason the smart home stays on the wish list. The technology was never the barrier. The installation was.

The modular alternative: a power system you click together

Moduel removes the electrician from the equation by shrinking the hard part. At its heart is the world’s smallest certified 16A 250V connector, complete with earth and a protective shutter. Because the connector is built into every cord, outlet and module, the whole system simply clicks together — no exposed wiring, no screwdriver, no certification needed for you to use it. Think of it as a modular power strip you can shape to the room instead of the other way round: add an outlet here, a USB-C module there, extend the run when the furniture moves. It is DIY smart-home power in the literal sense — you build it, you change it, and nothing is ever wasted because every part is reusable.

Build your setup in three steps

1.     Plan the room. Decide where you want power and control — the desk, the TV wall, the bedside table. Count the outlets and any USB-C charging you need. There is no wiring to plan, just where things should sit.

2.     Click the modules together. Connect cords, outlets and modules by hand until the layout matches your plan. Each click is a certified connection. Mount it on the wall or leave it free-standing — your choice, and it takes minutes, not an afternoon.

3.     Connect the app. Add the Smart Matter Control Module, open the Moduel app, and your setup comes online. Now you can schedule, automate and monitor everything you just built.

Already have IKEA ÅSKVÄDER? You are already compatible

If you bought into the IKEA ÅSKVÄDER range, you already own the same modular system — it was sold under IKEA’s brand for two and a half years. That means your existing cords and outlets work with Moduel out of the box, so the simplest ÅSKVÄDER alternative is not to replace anything at all. Just add the Smart Matter Control Module and your current setup becomes a fully smart, app-controlled system — no new cables, no electrician, no starting over. For hundreds of thousands of Nordic households, the upgrade is a single click.

Smart control, without the hub

Once the Smart Matter Control Module is in place, your power system speaks Matter — the open standard that ties the smart home together. That means it works with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings, with no separate hub to buy or configure. Set a schedule so the coffee machine warms up before your alarm. Build scenes like ‘Good Morning’, ‘Movie Night’ and ‘Away’. Cut standby power with one tap, and watch your energy use in real time so you can see exactly where the money goes. It is the control people expect from a smart home, without the wiring people dread.

What you need to get started

The easiest way in is the Smart Start Kit, which includes everything you need for a first room in one box. Add the Smart Matter Control Module for app and voice control, and an extension cord when you want to reach further or reshape the layout later. Start small, then grow the system one module at a time — nothing you buy today is ever made obsolete by what you add tomorrow.