Ring doorbells and other smart doorbells are on the rise in the UK as they offer a convenient way to keep your home secure and take deliveries when you're not home. When someone rings your doorbell, you usually get a mobile notification and can see live video of the person at your door. You can get battery-powered versions, but hardwired versions exist too. It costs an average of £160 to get a smart doorbell installed, but what factors make up this cost?

How much does it cost to install a smart doorbell?

How much it costs to install a smart doorbell depends on the brand of doorbell you choose and where you are in the country. HaMuch has a large database of hourly and daily rates for electricians across the UK, but these are the average costs:

Image	Name	Cost
	Ring Video Doorbell Wired	£49.99
	Arlo 2K Wireless Video Doorbell	£99.00
	Nest NC5100-GB Hello Smart Video Doorbell Wired	£205.00

It’s worth getting in touch with a few local electricians to compare quotes for smart doorbell installation as they may be able to offer a cheaper rate than these averages. Make sure you choose an electrician that is registered with a trade body like NAPIT or NICEIC.

What are the advantages of a smart doorbell?

Doubles up as CCTV: Ring doorbells and other smart doorbells can record video all the time, not just when your doorbell rings. That means you can use it as a security camera to keep watch on the front of your property.

Take parcels when you’re not home: No more ‘sorry we missed you’ slips! Let the postie know a safe place for them to leave your parcel by using your phone to speak to them.

Potentially save on your home insurance: Insurance providers tend to look favourably upon households that have a good level of security, so having a smart doorbell could reduce your premiums. Bear in mind that they will probably state that you need to have your doorbell recording at all times, otherwise it would invalidate any claim.

What are the disadvantages of a smart doorbell?

They can be expensive: Smart doorbells are certainly a luxury when you could buy a traditional doorbell for as little as £13. Add the monthly costs if you want the premium features and they can be an expensive bit of tech.

Default settings may pick up passers-by: If your smart doorbell has a motion sensor, you may find that it picks up your neighbours walking past rather than just approaching your property, and you get inundated with mobile notifications. You can usually change these settings on more expensive models.

You should be aware of privacy laws: It’s worth remembering that people have a right to privacy. After a case in October 2021 where a homeowner was fined for installing a Ring doorbell that ‘unjustifiably invaded’ the privacy of their neighbour, the Information Commissioner’s Office stated that owners of smart doorbells “should respect people's privacy rights and take steps to minimise intrusion to neighbours and passers-by.” Consider the position of your smart doorbell and whether you need it recording at all times.

Is there a monthly charge for Ring doorbell in UK?

There isn't a compulsory monthly charge for a Ring doorbell in the UK, but Ring offers two subscription plans if you want video recording history and more: Protect Basic and Protect Plus.

Protect Basic offers up to 180-day video history for one doorbell, a 1-year warranty and 10% off selected Ring products for £3.49 per month. Protect Plus gives you up to 180-day video history and extended warranties for unlimited devices with 10% off selected Ring products for £8 per month.

Is there a monthly fee for a Nest Doorbell?

Again, there isn’t a required monthly fee for a Nest Doorbell, but you can sign up to its Nest Aware subscription. For £5 per month, you get upgraded features such as intelligent motion detection, animal detection, parcel detection and more.

Do smart doorbells require wiring?

Smart doorbells don’t necessarily require wiring. You can buy the Ring Doorbell and Nest Doorbell and run them on battery power. However, if you do have your smart doorbell wired, it means that you won’t have to worry about the battery running out. If you use your smart doorbell as a security camera as well as a doorbell, it’s certainly a comfort to know that your home is covered at all times.

Do smart doorbells work without WiFi?

Most smart doorbells will work without WiFi if you have it connected to a traditional chime. This is useful to know if your WiFi drops out for any reason, so you’ll still hear your doorbell if someone rings it.

However, to get the most out of your smart doorbell, you want to make sure it’s connected to your WiFi. Without it, you won’t get notifications to your phone and it probably won’t record video (unless you have an SD card). If you use a voice assistant, such as an Alexa, as a chime, this won’t work without WiFi either.

Make sure you read the brand’s specifications to find out the minimum internet connection requirements for the smart doorbell to work. 

Can I install a smart doorbell myself?

If you’re using a battery-powered smart doorbell and you’re handy with DIY, you can certainly install a smart doorbell yourself. However, if you want your smart doorbell to be wired, it’s best to leave this to an electrician.

If you’ve not got experience with electrics, you could shock yourself or a family member or cause a fire risk. It’s much better to get in touch with a professional so you can be sure your doorbell has been installed properly. 

Post your job on HaMuch to get quotes from qualified electricians in your area and compare prices for your smart doorbell installation.

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