Why a smart plug makes the perfect Christmas gift

Ever fumbled irritably down the back of a sofa to click off a plug? Or wondered nervously if you really had turned off the iron? Or fretted over how much power that new electric heater was guzzling? Then you should get a smart plug. 

A smart plug is essentially a plug, but with internet functionality. You plug any appliance or device into it, and then you can switch it off and on using an app on your phone or tablet, or even just with your voice. 

But perhaps the most useful application for a smart plug is energy monitoring – which this winter, will be front of mind for most of us. 

 - see fully tested models to suit all budgets and needs.

How to use a smart plug for energy monitoring

Energy monitoring enables you to keep tabs on a plugged in appliance’s energy consumption. Not all smart plugs have this function, but as you'll see below, you can pick up an energy monitoring plug for less than £10. 

Some plugs also have bill calculators, which project the cost of running the appliance against the latest energy price in kilowatt hours (kWh).

News, deals and stuff the manuals don't tell you. 

Three energy monitoring smart plugs to consider

TP-Link Tapo P110

TP-Link is one of the most popular smart plug brands, with a wide range of models, including the Tapo P110. It allows you to keep tabs on a plugged-in your appliance’s energy consumption, including real time power use, as well as daily, weekly or monthly reports on its consumption.

undefinedEner-JSHA5325 Smart WiFi Socket

The Ener-J Smart app is nicely designed and has some useful features. It offers real-time energy monitoring, so you can see your energy consumption in kWh throughout the day. Alongside the app, the plug has a physical on/off button on the left side of the casing.

 reviewundefinedDefender Smart Plug (4 x Pack) 

If you have lots of devices you want to automate or monitor, the Defender has four plugs included in the pack. It’s a doddle to set up and use. It tracks the energy usage of appliances, and also calculates your daily electricity usage in kWh. It even claims to calculate your running cost for any plugged in devices.

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Other great uses for a smart plug

Alongside switching appliances on and off, and monitoring how much energy they use, consider the following other great uses for a smart plug.

 Set routines

When home, you can set routines using multiple plugs for certain times of the day, such as for the lights automatically going off and the electric blanket switching on when you want to go to bed. 

Semi-automate your kitchen

A similar trick can be employed with a slow cooker. Fill it with ingredients and then program the smart plug to turn on at the right time, so you’ll come home to a perfectly cooked meal.

Please your pets

You can also use a smart plug on fish tank lights to turn them on when you want - or better still, use a schedule. 

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/why-a-smart-plug-makes-the-perfect-gift-a1O990p2YYtw