An Easy Guide to Smart Plugs: All You’ve Ever Wanted to Know
Safer, more convenient and efficient—this is why smart homes have already become a thing. But automating things in your home doesn’t have to get too expensive or complicated. Smart plugs are one of the simplest but most efficient components of smart home tech. With smart home gadgets like these, the possibilities for personalising your home are endless.
The best part?
With a few simple tweaks, you can use smart plugs with “non-smart” devices to make them more energy efficient. That means you can reduce energy waste without spending much on the process. Yes, it’s that easy!
So what do smart plugs do?
Let’s discuss.
What Are Smart Plugs For?
Also called a smart socket or outlet, smart plugs look like conventional electrical plugs from the outside and are plugged into the socket in the same manner. But are loaded with intelligent technology.
Their main purpose is to allow or block power flow and add an intelligent layer to your home. Be it a humble lamp or a coffee maker, a smart plug can transform ANY regular device into a smart appliance.
Smart plugs are IoT-based with Wi-Fi or Z-wave connectivity, which means they can connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network when plugged into a standard electrical socket. When you connect it to a device, the power supply to it is controlled by the plug. Smart plugs come with their companion apps and you need to create an account to sign up. The app will help you to pair the device with the Wi-Fi network.
Plus, smart plugs are super versatile. They can have multiple outlets and USB ports so you can hook up multiple devices. Through them, you can connect, control, and monitor everything from small to bigger appliances like fridges and air conditioners.
Not that all smart plugs work well with every appliance, mind you. More on the smart plug selection process later.
While smart plugs have many advantages, the biggest advantage is the ability to control your devices through a smartphone app or a voice assistant. Imagine setting out for a weekend trip and wondering on the motorway- “ Did I forget to turn off the stove?”
Thanks to the game-changing ability of smart plugs, you can say goodbye to such stresses. With smart plugs, you can check the on/off status of a device at any point. You can control and schedule the devices simply by using a phone or tablet.
Do Smart Plugs Save Energy?
Here is the simple truth. Smart plugs will not lower your energy consumption directly.
However, smart plug apps have energy-monitoring features – thanks to a built-in ammeter – allowing you to track the electricity usage of the connected devices.
That, in turn, allows you to locate the most energy-hungry device and make informed decisions to lower energy use. In fact, some smart plugs allow for scheduling, that is turning off a device when the power consumption shoots above a set limit.
And the convenience doesn’t end IN your home.
You can use smart plugs outdoors too. Specialised plugs will let you control, say, the brightness of your patio lights depending on the time of day.
Some even come in the form of power strips with multiple outlets, all of which you can control individually. So, if you plan it right, the total energy savings can be significant. Ultimately, you’ll end up saving money on power bills.
Time to tackle some of the most common questions.
How Much Power Do Smart Plugs Use?
Do smart plugs use more electricity than their dumb non-smart counterparts?
First of all, smart plugs don’t use a lot of electricity to begin with. If you measure the electricity being drawn by a smart plug at any moment, it will not be more than two watts; probably much closer to a single watt.
In truth, smart plugs will constantly draw some electricity to remain connected to the network. Even so, the average amount of electricity the plug will draw in a year is around 10 kWh which is miniscule. In the end, they will be saving more power than they draw.
No wonder the smart plug market is growing at such a huge rate. A recent report suggests that it’s currently at USD 1,5 billion and is projected to hit almost $15 billion by 2032. That’s a whole lot of homes getting smarter!
All that sounds great, but what about the drawbacks of smart plugs?
The most serious concern are security vulnerabilities that you need to safeguard. Then again, smart plugs come without a large memory or processing capabilities. So don’t expect them to remember the power settings of a particular gadget once it is turned off. That means you will have to manually reset the favourite setting of your AC once you switch it off.
How to Choose the Right Smart Plug: Things to Keep in Mind
Is It Compatible?
Make sure that a new smart plug will work with your smart home system. Not all smart plugs can deal with the same amount of power. The ones with low load capacity won’t be compatible with power-hungry devices like air conditioners. Overloading a smart plug is something you just don’t want to do as it can cause fire hazards.
If you already have a smart home system, choose a plug that will integrate seamlessly. For example, if you’re using a voice assistant like Alexa or Google, most smart plugs will be compatible with them. But not all plugs will work with Apple HomeKit.
To be on the safest side, it’s best to always look for the so-called Matter certificate. It basically guarantees that smart home devices from different manufacturers will pair without any issues.
Check the App Features
You need a smart plug app that is user-friendly and easy to set up. Using a smart plug that will make your devices needlessly complicated to operate is not a… well, smart approach.
Additional features to look for are automation and remote-control features like scheduling and timers. Some apps have energy monitoring features and can generate useful energy reports that help optimise costs.
How Safe Are Smart Plugs?
Time to answer one of the most common questions, and understandably so.
We mentioned the dread fire hazard above. Now, smart plugs are not inherently dangerous. Unless they are used beyond their power limits, there’s not much reason to fret. And that’s even if you didn’t choose plugs with added safety features like overheat protection, overcurrent protection, and surge protection.
Before buying, check if they are made from high-quality, flame-retardant materials. Top-grade smart plugs are certified by reliable agencies like UL (Underwriters Laboratories) and ETL (Intertek).
There’s a more common (and more sophisticated) problem than fire hazards: cyber attacks. Any device that’s connected to the internet can be a target. Typically, security holes in smart home systems aren’t difficult to exploit.
This means your smart plug needs to have proper encryption and authentication. This, of course, depends on the reputation of the brand and its agility to release security updates and patches, and to do it often.
Last, but not least, make sure to use a unique and strong password for your smart plug. Take it from the FBI, who’ve released this warning even in 2019: “Your fridge and your laptop should not be on the same network. Keep your most private, sensitive data on a separate system from your other IoT devices.”
Keep the Size in Mind
The looks do play an important role in the choice of smart plugs—a sleek device just looks better in a modern home. Another important aspect of choosing smart plugs is their size. If a smart plug is bulky, it could block off other power outlets.
Also, keep in mind the plug orientation depending on the location and space around the outlet.
Smart Plugs: FAQs
What do you use smart plugs for?
Smart plugs are great to “smartify” your regular, analog devices and enable home automation – an essential feature of a smart home. They are a cheap and simple option to remotely control the power flow to the connected devices or use voice control to operate them.
Are smart plugs a security risk?
Smart plugs can be hacked and compromise your privacy if their software has security flaws. Since they receive and send data by staying connected to the internet, locking them up under strong passwords and regularly updating the firmware is a must.
Do smart plugs save money?
Smart plugs will not save you money directly. However, they allow you to understand the energy usage of various devices by generating reports. This helps you to control the device, reduce your energy consumption, and save money.
How long do smart plugs last?
Smart plugs are relatively durable and usually come with a warranty of one year. When used properly, they will easily last for a few years.
