Security lighting is one of the most effective and cost-efficient deterrents against opportunist burglary and theft. Well-lit approaches, entrances and perimeters can make a property a less attractive target, although most of the research evidence concerns street lighting rather than individual homes. In the UK, the market has shifted firmly to LED technology, which offers significantly lower running costs and longer service life than the halogen floodlights that dominated a decade ago.

Getting security lighting right involves more than buying a fitting. PIR (passive infrared) sensor specifications, IP weatherproofing ratings, wiring regulations, and planning considerations all affect whether a system will perform reliably and legally.

Types of Security Light

Floodlight with integral PIR, the most common type. A wide-beam LED or halogen flood fitting with a PIR sensor mounted in the same housing. Triggered when a person or vehicle enters the detection zone. Available wired (230V) or solar. Best for driveways, car parks, large open approaches.

Bulkhead light with PIR, a compact, dome-shaped fitting designed to mount flush to a wall. Lower lumen output than a floodlight but suitable for doorways, side passages, and smaller areas. More aesthetically acceptable on period properties.

Soffit light (downlight), recessed or semi-recessed fitting installed under a soffit or canopy, pointing downwards. Typically used at front and rear entrances where a surface-mounted fitting is undesirable. Requires a waterproof rated version (IP65+) and usually connected to an indoor PIR sensor or smart hub.

Solar security light, self-contained unit with integral solar panel, battery, LED array, and PIR. No wiring required; suitable for outbuildings, garden walls, and locations without convenient cable runs. Performance is limited in the UK’s northern latitude and winter light levels; battery capacity and the efficiency of the solar panel are the key specification variables.

Smart security light, wired LED fitting connected to a smart home hub or Wi-Fi directly. Can be controlled via app, integrated with cameras and alarms, set to different brightness levels by time of day, and configured to alert your phone when triggered.

PIR Sensor Specifications

PIR sensors detect infrared radiation emitted by warm bodies moving across their field of view. Key specifications:

Detection angle: Typically 90° to 180°. A 180° sensor covers a wide area in front of the fitting. For a narrow passage, a 90° or adjustable sensor reduces false triggers from adjacent areas.

Detection range: Typically 8–12 m for domestic fittings. Commercial or perimeter fittings can detect at 15–20 m. Range falls in hot weather, when the background temperature approaches body temperature and the contrast the sensor relies on narrows, and is also reduced by physical obstructions.1

Lux threshold (day/night control): Most PIR security lights incorporate a photocell that prevents the light triggering during daylight. The threshold is adjustable on most fittings, and the range varies by model. Setting too high a threshold causes the light to activate in bright ambient conditions; too low and it fails to trigger at dusk.

Time delay: The duration the light stays on after activation, typically adjustable from a few seconds to around 10 minutes.2 Shorter durations save energy; longer durations are more useful for illuminating a driveway while unloading.

False trigger susceptibility: Trees, large shrubs, passing cars, and animals can all trigger PIR sensors. Adjusting the detection angle downwards and reducing the range setting minimises nuisance triggering without compromising coverage of the intended area.

LED vs Halogen

SpecificationLEDHalogen
Typical wattage (floodlight)10–50 W150–500 W
Light output800–5,000 lm1,500–8,000 lm
Colour temperature4,000–6,500 K (cool white typical)2,700–3,000 K (warm white)
Service life20,000–50,000 hours1,000–2,000 hours
Running cost (pence/hour at 26.32p/kWh)0.26–1.3p3.9–13.2p
Heat outputLowVery high
Typical supply cost£12–£120£15–£50

LED is the unambiguous choice for new installations. A 20 W LED floodlight (approx. 2,000 lm) gives roughly the same light output as a 150 W halogen and costs about 0.53p per hour to run. At the Ofgem price cap rate of 26.32p/kWh for electricity from 1 October 2026, switching from a 150 W halogen to a 20 W LED saves around £12.50 per year assuming one hour of activation per night, with the LED lasting 10–50 times longer on the service lives in the table above.3

IP Ratings for Outdoor Use

The IP (Ingress Protection) rating describes a fitting’s resistance to dust and water ingress. For outdoor security lighting:

  • IP44, protected against objects over 1 mm and water splashing from any direction. The minimum acceptable rating for covered outdoor locations (under an eave or porch).
  • IP65, dust-tight and protected against low-pressure water jets. Recommended for exposed outdoor walls, soffits, and all UK climates.
  • IP66/IP67, suitable for very exposed locations, ground-level recessed fittings, or areas subject to direct rain and standing water.

Specify IP65 as the default minimum for any UK outdoor security light.

Wiring Requirements: Part P and BS 7671

Adding a new outdoor circuit for security lighting is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations (in England).4 This means it must either be carried out by a registered competent person (who self-certifies the work) or notified to the local authority Building Control before work begins (with inspection on completion).4

In practice, most homeowners use an electrician registered with a competent person scheme, who self-certifies the work (“Part P-registered electrician” is common usage but not an actual category). An installer who is not registered can instead use a registered third party to certify notifiable work, or the work can be notified to Building Control; without one of these routes there is no compliance certificate, which can cause problems when you sell the property.4

Relevant standard: BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, the IET Wiring Regulations (18th Edition with Amendment 4).5 A buried outdoor cable needs an earthed armour or metal sheath, or must run in a conduit or duct that gives equivalent protection, and its route is marked with cable covers or marker tape; where the cable is exposed it is protected against damage.6 In a home, a circuit supplying lighting also needs additional protection by a 30 mA RCD (residual current device), as does any socket-outlet rated up to 32 A.7

Replacing an existing like-for-like outdoor fitting (same location, same wiring, same circuit) is not notifiable, and neither is adding a new outdoor fitting to an existing circuit. In England, Approved Document P makes only three things notifiable: a new circuit, a consumer unit replacement, and an addition or alteration in a special location. Everything else, including outdoor work, still has to be carried out safely and to BS 7671 standard, but does not have to be notified.4

Smart Security Lighting

Smart security lights integrate with smart home hubs (Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, or Wi-Fi) to offer:

  • Remote control and scheduling, switch lights on before you arrive home, set different brightness levels by time
  • Zone control, trigger specific areas based on which sensor activated
  • CCTV integration, when a camera detects motion, trigger the nearest floodlight and begin recording
  • Event logging, record all activation events with timestamps
  • Smart tariff response, in a home with a smart energy tariff, dim security lighting during peak demand periods

Smart floodlights with Wi-Fi or Zigbee integration cost £60–£200 supply. Some systems require a proprietary hub in addition to the fitting.

GDPR and Planning Considerations

Security lighting that dazzles road users or neighbours can become a legal issue: artificial light from premises that is prejudicial to health or a nuisance is a statutory nuisance, which the council can act on.8 The most relevant guidance comes from the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP), whose Guidance Note 01/21 covers the reduction of obtrusive light and which also publishes a note on domestic security lighting.9 BS 5489-1, by contrast, is a code of practice for road lighting rather than domestic security lights.10

Practical rules:

  • Aim floodlights downwards, not across boundaries or towards public highways
  • Use directional fittings rather than bare wide-angle lamps where possible
  • Adjust PIR angle to avoid triggering from public pavements
  • Avoid blue-white (5,000 K+) colour temperatures in residential areas, 4,000 K is adequate and less intrusive

If a camera built into your security lighting records beyond your property boundary, for example a public pavement or a neighbour’s garden, data protection law applies even though the system is for domestic use.11 The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) publishes guidance for home users with CCTV and smart doorbell cameras.11

Planning permission is not generally required for security lights on a house, but listed buildings and properties in conservation areas may have restrictions, check with your local authority before installation.

Security Lighting Comparison

TypeTypical DIY costTypical installed cost (electrician)Lumen outputPIR rangeSmart capableInstallation complexity
Solar floodlight£30–£80N/A (DIY)500–2,000 lm5–8 mLimitedVery low
Wired LED PIR floodlight£12–£100 supply£140–£300 total1,000–5,000 lm8–12 mSome modelsMedium (Part P)
Bulkhead light with PIR£25–£80 supply£120–£250 total500–2,000 lm5–10 mSome modelsMedium (Part P)
Smart floodlight (Wi-Fi/Zigbee)£60–£200 supply£160–£400 total1,500–5,000 lm8–12 mYesMedium–High (Part P + hub)
Soffit downlight with external PIR£30–£80 supply£150–£350 total500–1,500 lm5–8 mYesHigh (Part P + routing)

At the budget end, Toolstation listed a Wessex 20 W, 2,400 lm IP65 LED floodlight with a PIR sensor at £12.49 in September 2026.12

Practical Buying Advice

For a standard UK semi-detached house, two wired LED PIR floodlights (front and rear) plus one bulkhead light at the side access will provide comprehensive perimeter coverage. Priced from the comparison table above, that comes to roughly £400–£850 for supply and installation by a registered competent person, and often less when all three are fitted on one visit. Solar lights are a useful supplement for outbuildings and garden paths but should not be the primary security lighting on main access routes.

Specify IP65 minimum, detection angle of 120–180° for open areas, and 4,000 K colour temperature. Where a smart hub is already installed, investing in smart-capable fittings adds flexibility without significant cost premium.

All costs include VAT at 20%. Electrician rates vary by region; London rates typically run about 10–20% above those elsewhere.

References (12)

Figures in this note were checked against the sources below on 2 October 2026. Superscript numbers in the text point to them. Every source the site cites, by topic.

  1. 1technicalsupplier figureAjax Systems, guidance.RN-BUNFMYA PIR detector manufacturer explains that PIR sensing relies on the contrast between body temperature and ambient temperature, which weakens as ambient temperature approaches body temperature, i.e. in hot conditions.
  2. 2technicalsupplier figureToolstation, guidance.RN-0RGLYMA national retailer's product page for a domestic LED PIR floodlight. It gives an adjustable on-time of 10 seconds to 10 minutes, a 0 to 10 m detection range and an adjustable lux setting.
  3. 3technicalvery strongOfgem.RN-YYE8U2The live source for any running-cost sum in a heating note. For 1 October to 31 December 2026 the direct debit cap is 26.32p per kWh for electricity with a 54.83p daily standing charge, and 7.97p per kWh for gas with a 29.68p daily standing charge, giving a typical annual dual fuel bill of £1,723, a 4% rise on the previous period. Ofgem states these are the average unit rate and standing charge for direct debit customers in England, Scotland and Wales; gas prices include 5% VAT while electricity carried no VAT in this period. The cap is reset every three months, so any note quoting a pence-per-kWh figure should be dated against this page.
  4. 4technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.RN-JYJ3I5The document that decides what electrical work a homeowner may legally do themselves, and the exact list of notifiable jobs. Regulation 12(6A), reproduced at paragraph 2.5, makes only three things notifiable: the installation of a new circuit, the replacement of a consumer unit, and any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location. Regulation 12(9) defines special location as, in a room containing a bath or shower, the zone extending vertically from finished floor level to 2.25 metres (or the shower head position if higher) and horizontally 600mm from the edge of the bath tub or shower tray. Paragraph 2.7 states that all other electrical installation work is not notifiable, namely additions and alterations to existing installations outside special locations, and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere. Paragraph 2.8 gives worked examples: a built-in cooker is not notifiable unless a new cooker circuit is needed, and connecting an electric gate or garage door to an existing isolator is not notifiable but running a new circuit from the consumer unit to that isolator is. Paragraph 2.2 confirms Part P reaches outdoor work including fixed garden lighting, pond pumps and outbuildings such as sheds, detached garages and domestic greenhouses. Notifiable work must be certified by self-certification by a registered competent person, third-party certification, or a building control body (paragraph 3.1), with the compliance certificate issued within 30 days (paragraph 3.4). Note that Approved Document P is a source of guidance rather than a ban: non-notifiable work still has to comply with BS 7671.
  5. 5technicalstrongThe Institution of Engineering and Technology, guidance.RN-8RUPKYThe IET's BS 7671 page shows the current Wiring Regulations are the 18th Edition incorporating Amendment 4:2026.
  6. 6technicalstrongInstitution of Engineering and Technology (Wiring Matters, July 2024), guidance.RN-LW0URAIET Wiring Matters explanation of BS 7671 Regulation 522.8.10: buried cables must be deep enough to avoid foreseeable disturbance (a designer's judgement, not a fixed figure) and their route marked with cable covers or marker tape.
  7. 7technicalstrongThe Institution of Engineering and Technology, guidance.RN-X2UVQ7The IET's summary of BS 7671:2018 changes gives Regulation 411.3.4 (30 mA RCD protection for lighting circuits in domestic premises) and Regulation 411.3.3 (RCD protection for socket-outlets rated up to 32 A).
  8. 8technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-43Q4DGThe definitive list of what counts as a statutory nuisance in England and Wales, which is the legal hook for most neighbour and building-work complaints. Section 79(1) names, among others: (a) any premises in such a state as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance, which is the route used against damp and disrepair; (b) smoke emitted from premises; (c) fumes or gases emitted from premises; (d) dust, steam, smell or other effluvia arising on industrial, trade or business premises; (e) any accumulation or deposit; (fb) artificial light emitted from premises, which covers security lighting; (g) noise emitted from premises; and (ga) noise from a vehicle, machinery or equipment in a street. Each limb requires the matter to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance. Section 79(1) also places a duty on every local authority to inspect its area for statutory nuisances and, where a person living in its area complains, to take such steps as are reasonably practicable to investigate. Section 79(1A) excludes matters caused by land being in a contaminated state, and section 79(2) excludes Crown defence premises from the smoke, artificial light and noise limbs.
  9. 9technicalstrong locallyInstitution of Lighting Professionals (copy published by the Planning Inspectorate), guidance.RN-S119CJThe ILP's guidance note on obtrusive light, as lodged with the Planning Inspectorate. It sets out good practice for limiting obtrusive light and lists the ILP's separate note GN 09 on domestic security lighting.
  10. 10technicalstrongBSI, guidance.RN-QJOX4FBSI's product page shows BS 5489-1:2020 is the code of practice for designing road and public amenity lighting, not guidance for domestic security lights.
  11. 11technicalstrongInformation Commissioner's Office, guidance.RN-BVLBS9The ICO's guidance on home CCTV says data protection law applies where a camera captures someone else's property, a public area or communal space beyond the owner's boundary.
  12. 12costsupplier figureToolstation.RN-7IX7WHA price, true at 2026-09. Toolstation's product page for a 20 W, 2,400 lm IP65 LED floodlight with PIR sensor. It shows £12.49 including VAT, the low end of the corrected supply price band.

  1. What is temperature compensation in motion detectors, Ajax Systems, accessed 30 September 2026. support.ajax.systems

  2. Lutec Halo Slim LED PIR Floodlight IP44 10W 950lm 4000K, Toolstation, accessed 2 October 2026. toolstation.com

  3. Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, Ofgem, accessed 30 September 2026. ofgem.gov.uk

  4. Approved Document P, Electrical safety: Dwellings, 2013 edition incorporating 2010 and 2013 amendments, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 14 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  5. BS 7671 - 18th Edition, The IET Wiring Regulations, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, accessed 30 September 2026. electrical.theiet.org

  6. Buried conduits and ducts (Wiring Matters, July 2024), The Institution of Engineering and Technology, accessed 30 September 2026. electrical.theiet.org

  7. Changes within BS 7671:2018, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, accessed 30 September 2026. electrical.theiet.org

  8. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 79: Statutory nuisances and inspections therefor, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  9. Guidance Note 01/21: The Reduction of Obtrusive Light, Institution of Lighting Professionals (copy published by the Planning Inspectorate), accessed 2 October 2026. nsip-documents.planninginspectorate.gov.uk

  10. BS 5489-1:2020 Design of road lighting. Lighting of roads and public amenity areas. Code of practice, BSI, accessed 30 September 2026. knowledge.bsigroup.com

  11. Domestic CCTV systems, Information Commissioner’s Office, accessed 30 September 2026. ico.org.uk

  12. Wessex LED PIR Floodlight IP65 20W 2400lm 4000K Black, Toolstation, accessed 2 October 2026. Priced at 2026-09 and left there. toolstation.com