Home automation company Tewke has added air quality monitoring and lighting automation to its Tap smart light switch.

Tap brings lighting, optimised energy use and home health monitoring together in one place, and now it’s offering more. Users can check the quality of their rooms’ air in detail via the Tap app as well as automate their lighting to activate with motion detection.

Further enhancements will see two-stage motion sensors automatically turn each Tap switch into a customisable display screen as users pass by, while TewkeAI powered by Google Gemini will let homeowners ask Tap questions and receive instant visual answers. Plus, there’ll be smart meter integration, as well as enhanced reporting in the Tap app to provide increased insight on the home’s energy use.

Tap aims to make lighting feel personal. Users can create a customised ambience for every moment, across every room. Whether its cosy nights in, entertaining with friends or control from outside the home via the intuitive app, Tap makes it easier. Users set the scenes to suit their needs and combine them to create whole home habitats.

They can schedule lighting to change automatically throughout the day, and automate lighting via the Tewke mobile app, setting up scenes, habitats and individual devices to switch on and off automatically depending on time of day (both specifically set times and relative times based on sunrise and sunset) or through motion detection.

A further development due by the end of the year is a feature that automatically turns every Tap light switch into a useful display as the user walks past. As a user approaches Tap in the short term, a clock screen saver will automatically appear but, in the future, Tewke will add functionality so the display can be controlled and customised from the mobile app. The intelligent switch can differentiate between someone moving at a further distance away from someone approaching closely, so it can auto switch to the usual Tap control once they intentionally walk right up to it.

Built-in sensors help users understand and improve the health of their environment. Tap provides insight on temperature, humidity, CO₂ levels and air quality.

Poor air quality and high humidity are leading causes of discomfort and mould in homes. Tap acts as an early warning system so users can take action before problems develop. Users can opt-in to track their home health data over time via the Tap app.

When paired with a smart plug ecosystem, users can add lamps, fans, heaters and appliances, then control them from Tap or by using a smartphone app from any location at any time.

Early next year, updates will be added to the automation feature, including using environmental sensors and energy tariff data as triggers for action. So, for example if humidity is high, Tap can automatically activate the dehumidifier. Or, when the energy price is low, Tap can automatically turn on a pre-loaded washing machine.

UK firm Tewke believes saving money on energy bills should be easier. Tap’s real-time energy pricing instantly shows when running dishwasher, washing machine, EV charger and other shiftable appliances costs less. When paired with a variable tariff, following Tap’s advice can bring savings.

Coming in early 2026 is smart meter integration. This allows Tewke to enhance Tap’s energy usage insights. Users will be able to tell how much energy they are using across their homes, rather than just the devices connected to Tap, and they will also gain additional insight into how much the energy is costing.

Coupled with this, Tewke will be adding an energy insights section to their mobile app. This will feature all the energy usage information users can currently view on their Tap switches (energy usage, tariff prices, carbon intensity), but enhanced with historical data. These trend insights will add another level of understanding and make it easier for users to save money on their energy bills.

Also, next year, Tap will evolve with the introduction of TewkeAI, to become a voice-controlled assistant with an on-screen display. Powered by Google Gemini, by touching on the TewkeAI screen users will be able to ask Tap questions and receive instant visual answers. And because this is user controlled, Tap won’t be always listening.

Replacing a standard light switch, Tap installs in minutes, without construction work, rewiring or disruption to the home. Users can enjoy the intelligent control, automation and insights of a high-end smart home, without the need for specialist installers, expensive hubs or a complete home retrofit.

Tap (www.tewke.com/tap) can be updated automatically over the air, regularly receiving more features without requiring additional effort from the user, additional hardware, or further installation and disruption.

Tewke (www.tewke.com) is a climate technology start-up, developing technology to enable a smart grid, enabling optimised energy generation and consumption. Its first step on this journey is to control consumption, by developing domestic energy optimisation and home automation devices. Headquartered in London, it is developing technologies that can save energy in any home, while elevating the home living experience by making true home automation accessible. Tewke is a B Corp organisation and part of Google’s AI Energy Acceleration programme.