Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be looking at the idea of smart plugs and if they’re worth it or not for saving money. We’ll look at what they do and how they work, some of the benefits and if they actually can make a meaningful difference to your energy use.
So let’s get started!
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What is a Smart Plug?
A smart plug is a plug which goes into an existing socket but then then be controlled (usually by an app) in order to only supply power at certain times of the day. Essentially they’re an evolution of the old “timer switches” which has a little clock face on that you could set to just run power at certain times.
They’ve also usually got the advantage when a device is in use of being able to tell you exactly what energy consumption is being used by the device plugged into it at any time.
What uses are there for a smart plug?
Here’s a list of some of the practical examples of a smart plug that I use on a day to day;
Starting and stopping my slow cooker
Regular readers of the site will know I’m a big advocate of a slow cooker for practical cooking, but most of these don’t come with a timer and you don’t always want to wait around to switch it on at the recipe start time.
So I’ve used my smart plug to start my slow cooker exactly when I want it.
Stopping my heated airer
In the colder months of the year something else that I’ve written about elsewhere on the site is my use of a heated clothes airer in order to dry clothes.
These are great bits of kit for drying clothes efficiently but as effectively heating devices can be expensive to run if left on for a long time – and my model doesn’t have a timer so being able to switch it off even when I’m out is a good energy saving approach.
Security when out or taking a holiday
Having an intermittent light on and off at night via a timer switch has long been a good bit of security advice for when you’re away for a long time or on holiday.
A few smart plugs can help you really maximise having this by being able to plug it into stand lights that go on and off at different time.
Using smart plugs to boost in-home signals
Not all smart plugs do this (you’ll likely need specific one for what you’re trying to do) but smart plugs can also boost in-house signals like wi-fi or other smart systems.
I have one which extends the range of my Hive Smart Heating system to ensure the signal stays consistent.
Are Smart Plugs Safe?
Used in the right way yes, but there’s a couple of points we should mention from a safety angle.
Firstly, you need to be smart about what you plug in and activate using them – if you wouldn’t use it unattended at home normally, you shouldn’t be switching it on, particularly anything with potential to be a fire hazard.
The second point is that as with any electronic device it’s important to buy from a reputable and recognised brand. There’s quite a few plugs online marketed as energy-saving which are actually quite dangerous, so please do with someone you’ve heard of rather than cheap no-name brands.
Do Smart Plugs Save Energy?
Yes, used well they can do in one of two ways:
- As per my examples above, turning off devices you may either forget out or not have access to when you don’t need them to be running is an obvious way to save money.
- Using the feature of smart plugs that tells you how much energy the device is using can help you identify particularly inefficient energy usage in the home to make consistent improvements.
Do Smart Plugs use more electricity?
Yes but it’s really marginal – they run at 1 or 2 watts which is a fractional use of power, and even very occasional use of the smart features should see you save money via reduced usage.
What are the limitations of smart plugs?
A smart plug can only change the on/off status of power coming from the wall, so devices that require the further flick of a switch may not be able to be activated via a smart plug.
Verdict: Are Smart Plugs worth it?
Yes, but you just need a couple of smart plugs rather than buying a whole houseful. They key to saving money is targeted usage where you can put a couple where they make the most difference to devices you’d want to put on and off more – which will not be every device in the house.
We think a couple of well reviewed smart plugs though are well worth picking up – they are not a big cost outlay but can lead to some good energy savings over time.
Smart Plugs Buying Guide
Here we’ve recommended a few smart plugs that we view as quality brands whilst doing a very effective job a reasonable price point. Whilst
IKEA Tretakt
You might not have guessed that Home favourite IKEA did smart technology, but their smart plug is very reasonable and extremely well reviewed, working with either IKEA’s own smart software or a universal approach like Home Assistance.
It’s cheaper, but please note this plug won’t monitor energy use as well.
The Tretakt Plug is available from IKEA here.
Tapo P110 Smart Plug
Tapo’s Smart Plugs also have energy monitoring as a feature and work will nearly all major smart home apps and software programs, including Alexa. This plug also monitors energy use.
It’s available from Amazon here.
FAQ’s about Smart Plugs
Most smart plugs use between 1–2 watts, which adds only a few pence a year to your bill.
Yes — most modern models are compatible with these smart home ecosystems, however you need to check any smart plug you’re looking at buying for specific compatibility.
Avoid high-heat or safety-risk items like irons, kettles or space heaters when unattended.
Any questions?
If you have any questions or other suggested uses for smart plugs we’d absolutely love to hear from you! Just leave us a note in the comments below.
And that’s it!
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