Smart Plugs 101 - Have A Smarter Home

So what are smart plugs and how can they make your home smarter? Basically a smart plug can be connected to any appliance to make it a smart appliance. A smart plug allows you to remotely control the power going to that appliance, or use automation for on/off functions.

You may not need a smart plug for every single appliance in your home, but when you find yourself wishing you could remotely control certain appliances, try a smart plug.

Smart plugs allow you to save time and money by making your home more energy efficient through automation. They range in price from about $40-$60, but can pay for themselves in about 6 months with the energy you’ll save. For added convenience, you can use voice commands through Siri or Alexa to control your smart plugs.

So let’s look at where smart plugs might make sense in your home.

Kitchen
- A smart plug might be a good option for appliances that don’t turn off on their own, such as coffee makers and slow cookers, for safety purposes.
- You can also use smart plugs to automate functions – such as when you turn your lamp on upstairs your kettle turns on, ensuring you have hot water for tea when you want it.
Bedroom/Bathroom
- If you use an air purifier, de-humidifier, fan or atomizer, try a smart plug for automated control.
- Anything that could be a fire hazard is a great choice for a smart plug – ladies, think flat irons and curling irons. If you’re not sure if you turned it off and you’re already out of the house, just check it out on your smart phone.
Living Room
- TV – this is a great choice for a smart plug if energy-efficiency is important to you. When your TV is off, it still draws power, known as phantom power, when it is plugged in. A powered-off TV can waste as much as $100 of phantom power a year. Though a smart plug will draw some phantom power as well, it will be far less than the TV would on its own. You can see how a $50 smart plug could easily pay for itself in this scenario alone!
- Christmas tree lights. I don’t know about you, but I tend to forget to turn these on, and sometimes it’s a pain crawling behind the tree to get to the outlet. A smart plug eliminates this for you with its automation capability.
- You can get smart plugs for your lamps, but we would recommend going instead with a smart light bulb like Philips Hue or Lifx, particularly if you want features for your light beyond on/off functions.
Home Office
- Use smart plugs to turn off your computer monitors and hard drives at a certain time. You can also use geofencing to turn these devices on or off when you arrive at or leave your home.
- Printers – did you know a printer can have a negative impact on a rooms air quality? Apparently it can emit volatile organic compounds when it’s on. A smart plug allows you to turn your printer on easily with voice-assist or your smart phone only when you need it, improving the air quality in your home office.