Do Lutron smart switches require a neutral wire?

Many Lutron smart switches do not require a neutral wire, which is one of their biggest advantages over most other smart switch brands, though some models do require a neutral. The most popular Lutron Caseta line includes models that are specifically designed to work without a neutral wire. The Lutron Caseta wireless dimmer, model PD-6WCL, does not require a neutral wire and works in older homes where switch boxes often lack a neutral. This is possible because Lutron uses advanced dimming technology and draws a small amount of power through the load. The Caseta on-off switch, model PD-6ANS, does require a neutral wire because a true on-off switch cannot trickle power through the load the same way a dimmer can. In the higher-end Lutron RadioRA 3 and HomeWorks QSX systems, many dimmers also do not require a neutral, but most on-off switches and some accessory switches do. For comparison, most competing smart switches from TP-Link Kasa, Leviton, GE, and others require a neutral wire for all models, which makes them unusable in many older homes without rewiring. If your switch box has no neutral, typically only a white bundle in the back of the box, you should choose the Lutron Caseta dimmer PD-6WCL or similar no-neutral models. Always check the specific model's installation instructions for neutral requirements and ensure compatibility with your LED bulbs.