Yes, Smart plugs save energy. They are intelligent devices used to turn dumb home appliances into smart gadgets. Smart plugs enable communication by being placed between the appliance and the electric wall sockets. After the placement, they can then connect directly to the internet. In recent times, energy prices have skyrocketed due to factors such as low supply and high demand, coupled with government regulations.
If you have many devices at home, you are probably keen on the power each appliance consumes. Looking for ways to minimize power consumption is important. If you are planning on investing in a power-dependent smart plug, it is normal to wonder if it will increase your power bills. Let’s find out.
Does a smart Plug save energy?
Smart plugs save energy, and so do smart homes in general. Living in smart homes is much cheaper when compared to traditional houses. Smart homes have been established to be energy and heat-efficient. They are often described as “Eco-Friendly.” Smart plugs draw up to 1 watt when in standby mode, thus have little effect on energy consumption. This should therefore give you peace of mind.
If you use your smart plugs properly, they will reduce your energy consumption by about 1% and 4.58%, respectively. For you to conserve energy in your home, start by identifying the home appliances that consume energy the most and then customize the application to automatically turn the appliance off when not in use.
The shutdowns can take effect once you walk out of your house or when you are going to bed at night. Secondly, you will want to ensure that you invest in the right plug. The smart plug market is vast. It has all kinds of smart plugs, including good quality smart plugs, substandard smart plugs, and knock-offs. If you are looking to save on power consumption, the initial cost of the investment might be high but with long-term benefits.
Apart from the amount of power that the smart plug draws up in standby mode, you can also monitor your energy consumption and control all your appliances through the downloaded application. At the end of the day, you will realize that your monthly power consumption has significantly reduced.
Below is a list of some of the best smart plugs
Device Type |
Best for |
Check on Amazon |
TP-Link Kasa Smart Outdoor plug Kp400 |
Outdoor use |
|
Lutron Caseta Smart Home Plug |
Best for use with lamps |
|
Wyze plug |
Best budget works with Alexa and the Google Assistant |
|
Kasa Smart Plug by TP-Link, Dual Outlet Smart |
Double outlets, allows control of two devices |
Appliances that consume the most energy at home and the phantom load
Most people are not aware, but some of the home appliances consume a lot of electricity when left on standby mode. 25% of the power used by home electronics comes from appliances that are off but on standby mode. The appliances that you must watch out for include gaming consoles, DVD players, TVs, and Set-top boxes, desktop speakers, Wi-Fi modems, and scanners, among others.
The kitchen also has appliances that are exposed to phantom load or vampire power, such as blenders, microwaves, AC units, and heaters. If you have any of these appliances, ensure that none of them go into standby mode. You can only achieve this by using the smart plug. You have to connect each of the above devices to a smart plug to cut vampire power. This will ensure that the appliances are completely switched off instead of going into standby mode. Using the smart plug can assure you that the power supply from the outlet has been cut off.
Track energy usage
Smart plugs have been designed to provide energy usage metrics. The information can be derived from the smart plugs phone application. The application should allow you to track how each of the smart plugged appliances consumes electricity so that you can tweak them accordingly.
Smart plugs can also be used to set energy budgets per device. You will then receive notifications if a particular device is consuming more energy than normal. The above feature can be used to determine if a particular electronic appliance is faulty or working in good condition.
Tips on choosing the right smart plug
Compatibility- Since smart home devices are operated through voice control, you should ensure that the smart plug that you get can be integrated with your desired voice assistant. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are the most common voice commands used. Ensure that your smart plug is compatible with them. Though ihome and idevices are good options, the Apple home kit might give you challenges when it comes to compatibility.
Get a smart plug that has incorporated the right functional features
They say you get what you pay for. This particular saying especially applies to the smart plugs. Whichever plug that you decide to settle with should allow scheduling. This can help you shut down everything when you go to sleep or when you are leaving for work.
The smart plug application should also monitor energy. It should monitor the amount of electricity used per day, per week, or monthly. The energy monitor should provide you with information about vampire energy to help you keep electricity consumption low.
The “Away Mode” feature
The away mode is perfect if you plan to be out of your home for a while. When going away for a trip, most people will leave their chargers, microwave ovens, and other home appliances on standby. The away mode feature can be customized to stop current from flowing to the appliances, thus reducing your power bills.
Conclusion
Though smart home appliances can consume a lot of power, investing in a smart plug can help you save on electricity bills. A smart plug can help you save on energy since it gives you more control thanks to the inclusion of different features. Connecting most of your appliances to a smart plug can help you reduce your power bills.
FAQ’s
Do smart plugs hog WiFi?
Yes, smart plugs can slow down your Wi-Fi if you are using a couple of them at once.
Can you control your smart plug when away from home?
Yes, you can control your smart plug from anywhere through the relevant application.
Robinson Wright
Robinson Wright is a home automation specialist and has helped many modern home developers pick the right gadgets for home automation. According to Wright, most people struggle with particular areas in their home, some would want improved security especially when away from home for a couple of days and others will want to improve power consumption. Homeowner's needs can be fulfilled by investing in smart home gadgets but most importantly is that one must know the functionality that they desire to achieve and then choose a product and technology that would fulfill the need. Robinson Wright runs an appliance enterprise and when not in the field working with his clients, he loves spending time in his workshop testing out the new technologies.