Smart Home and AREI: What You Need to Know About Home Automation
Does a smart home installation have to meet the AREI/RGIE? The fixed electrical installation does. What is allowed, what goes on the single-line diagram and what the inspection checks.
AuthorStephan BehmThe AREI/RGIE, Belgium's electrical installation regulation, does not treat smart home devices as a category of their own, but it does govern the fixed electrical installation they are built into. Wi-Fi relays, smart plugs and DIN-rail modules are allowed as long as the installation behind them meets the rules and the modules are suitable for how they are mounted. DIN-rail modules and any change to the fixed wiring belong on the single-line diagram and the situation plan.
What is allowed?
You can use smart home devices such as Wi-Fi relays (Shelly, Sonoff), smart plugs (TP-Link, Hue Smart Plug) or smart bulbs (Philips Hue, IKEA TRADFRI) as long as the fixed installation is right:
- Cables are correctly sized and protected.
- Circuit breakers and residual current devices (RCDs) are present and correctly assigned to the circuits.
- The installation is earthed.
- Permanently installed modules carry CE marking and are used within the purpose and installation conditions declared by the manufacturer.
A smart relay that switches a load is a control device. Electronic devices are expressly permitted for this if they meet the applicable standards or an equivalent safety level (AREI/RGIE Sub-section 5.3.3.2 point b). If the module sits in a flush-mounted box, the box must be large enough to house the connections easily (Sub-section 5.2.6.1).
DIN-rail modules in the distribution board
DIN-rail modules such as Shelly Pro, Shelly Pro 3EM or Sonoff DIN modules are a category of their own. They sit directly on the DIN rail in the distribution board and are therefore part of the fixed installation.
That is why DIN-rail modules appear on the single-line diagram. Under AREI/RGIE Sub-section 3.1.2.2 point a, the single-line diagram shows, among other things, residual current and overcurrent protective devices, switches and fixed machines and appliances; under Section 9.1.2, the diagram is part of the installation file the owner keeps. Draw the modules like any other board module.
Overview: smart home types and the AREI/RGIE
| Smart home type | Location | Part of the fixed installation? | On the single-line diagram? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi relay (Shelly 1, Sonoff) | Flush box behind the switch | Yes, once it is permanently wired | Yes, if the fixed wiring is changed (e.g. neutral run to the switch); otherwise the diagram is unchanged |
| Smart plug (plug-in) | In an existing socket | No | No |
| Smart bulb | In an existing lamp holder | No | No |
| DIN-rail module (Shelly Pro) | Distribution board | Yes | Yes |
| Smart thermostat (Nest, tado) | Wall-mounted | Yes, if permanently connected to 230 V | The supply circuit yes; battery-powered devices no |
| Smart door lock (battery) | Door frame | No | No |
Control, switching and isolation
Not every smart function needs a conventional wall switch. What matters is the device's function and the rules for control, switching, isolation, emergency action and maintenance. The smart relay is the load's control device (5.3.3.2). An app or cloud connection is not an isolating device unless the product and circuit are expressly designed for that. The manufacturer's instructions and the professional design of the fixed wiring settle it.
What does the inspection (keuring) check?
During the conformity inspection, the approved body checks the electrical installation, not the smart home logic:
- Wiring, protective devices and earthing are checked.
- DIN-rail modules must appear on the single-line diagram, relays in switch boxes whenever the fixed wiring was changed for them.
- The app, scenes and automation rules are not part of the inspection.
Documenting smart home components with PlanElec
PlanElec documents DIN-rail modules in the distribution board together with their protective devices and circuits. You plan supported relay and Shelly channels in lighting control with an explicit cable preview. With an active automation profile, you plan channels, control points and terminals in the Smart home area and export channel and terminal plans as a handover dossier. The AREI/RGIE self-check covers the electrical side; automation logic, cybersecurity and radio availability are down to the manufacturer and integrator. For bus systems such as KNX, read Home automation and KNX in the electrical installation.
Official sources: FPS Economy: AREI/RGIE Book 1 V06 and the European Commission guidance on CE marking. CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration under applicable EU law; the conformity of the Belgian installation is assessed at the inspection.
Related articles:
- Dedicated circuits: which appliances need their own circuit?
- Top 10 AREI violations
- AREI regulations 2026: what has changed?
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