Are you tired of seeing your energy bill skyrocket every month? Well, you’re not alone. Many homeowners are searching for ways to reduce their energy consumption without sacrificing comfort. Fortunately, there is a solution that can help you save money on your energy bill with minimal effort – smart plugs. Smart plugs are an easy and efficient way to control the energy usage of your home appliances. By using smart plugs, you can save money on your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint. In this article, we will explore the benefits of using smart plugs and provide you with practical tips on how to use them to save money on your energy bill.
What are Smart Plugs?
Smart plugs are devices that plug into a standard electrical outlet and allow you to control the power supply to any device connected to them. They connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network and can be controlled through a smartphone app or a smart home device, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some smart plugs can even be controlled with voice commands.
Tips on How to Save Money with Smart Plugs
Smart plugs can help you save money on your energy bill in several ways. Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. Monitor Your Energy Usage
Some smart plugs come with an energy monitoring feature that allows you to track the energy consumption of your devices. You can use this feature to identify devices that consume more energy than they should and take corrective measures.
2. Turn Off Electronics When You’re Not Using Them
Many electronics, such as phone chargers, televisions, audio systems and gaming consoles, continue to draw power even when they’re turned off. This is known as standby power or phantom load. By using smart plugs, you can turn off these devices completely when you’re not using them, save money on your energy bill.
3. Identify Energy-Hungry Devices
Use the energy monitoring feature of your smart plug to identify appliances that are using the most energy. These are your energy hogs. By reducing their usage, you can save a significant amount of energy and money.
4. Automate Your Appliances
Program your smart plugs to turn off your appliances automatically after a certain period. This can be useful for appliances that you tend to forget to turn off, such as Geyser or Electric Kettles. Smart plugs allow you to schedule your devices to turn off when you’re not home. This is especially useful for devices that you don’t need running when you’re away, such as lamps or fans. By turning off these devices, you can save money on your energy bill.
5. Use Smart Plugs with Timers
Smart plugs also allow you to set timers for your appliances, such as your coffee maker or slow cooker. This ensures that your appliances are only running when you need them, save money on your energy bill. For example, you can set your coffee maker to turn on in the morning and turn off after a certain period.
6. Group Appliances
Group your appliances based on their usage patterns. For example, group your entertainment system appliances together and program them to turn off automatically after a certain period of inactivity.
7. Use Voice Commands
Most of the Smart plugs can be controlled using voice commands through a smart speaker. This is especially useful if you have mobility issues or if your hands are occupied. For example, you can say “Hey Google, turn off the TV” when you are done watching TV.
Benefits of Smart Plugs
Smart plugs offer several benefits that can help you save money on your energy bills:
1. Convenience
Smart plugs allow you to control your devices from anywhere, at any time. This means that you can turn on your air conditioner before you get home, or turn off your lights from bed.
2. Security
Smart plugs can also help improve your home’s security. By scheduling your lights to turn on and off when you’re not home, you can create the illusion that someone is there, deterring potential intruders.
3. Safety
Finally, smart plugs can improve your home’s safety. By turning off appliances that could be potential fire hazards, such as curling irons or space heaters, you can reduce the risk of a fire.
4. Energy Monitoring
Some smart plugs come with an energy monitoring feature that tracks the energy usage of your appliances. This can help you identify which appliances are using the most energy and adjust their usage accordingly. Smart plugs help you save energy by automatically turning off devices that are not in use. This can significantly reduce your energy bill and help you contribute to a sustainable future.
How Do I Choose a Smart Plug?
Smart Living means, you also have to be smart in deciding which smart devices to purchase for your home. Here are few things you need to check before buying any Smart Plug:
Maximum Power Determines the Input Plug Type
The Power consumption of the intended appliances you want to connect determines the Input Plug Type. The problems arise when you decide to buy 16A Smart Plug is that, you won’t find the suitable 16A socket everywhere in your house. That’s a bummer, if you plan to shift the Smart plug frequently. There are converter/adaptor plugs available for connecting a 16A plug to a 6A socket, but that’s not safe if your electrical appliance has a rated current above 6A.
6A Smart plugs (most smart plugs can withstand up to 10A though) can be useful for frequent shifting but limits your maximum load to 1500W or less. So, choose wisely.
Need of Universal Socket for Output
Plugging anything on to a smart plug can put you in a bad situation, if your smart plug doesn’t support different types of plugs to take in. The realme Smart plugs for example; are good but they support only Indian plugs (6A or 16A). A universal socket can be handy, if you have appliances with various types of plugs in home.
The only drawback with the universal socket is that, the contacts gets loosen over a period of usage. Make sure to purchase a good quality one.
Energy Monitoring Helps
One of the main use case of a smart plug definitely is, monitoring electricity usage of any home appliance. But again, there is a challenge in finding Smart Plugs that support Energy Monitoring with 6A output. Manufacturers tends to avoid Energy Monitoring feature in 6A or 10A Smart plugs due to pricing. The energy monitoring Chips (IC) are costly and 16A plugs are the easy choices to have such a feature. It also makes sense to spend more money on such feature to monitor heavy loads like Geyser, AC, Microwave Ovens etc.
Your choices will get narrowed down, when you look for Energy Monitoring on 6A/10A Smart Plug. It will cost a little higher for a suitable one.
Fast Actions and Responses
Local Fulfillment on a smart device is a feature that makes any Smart Living experience a breeze by quickly responding to your actions without going through internet. Every Smart IoT Device connects and talk to other similar devices through a Cloud Service.
Local Fulfillment can make faster communications by directly talking to each other on a Local Network and doesn’t require internet. This method is very quicker in response unlike Cloud connection, which might take few seconds to complete an action.
Make sure your Smart Plug supports it. It also means that, your Smart Living experience is not completely depending on internet. Your Smart Home Setup should not break the experience too much in an internet outage. Except the Voice Assistants like Alexa and Google Home, which need internet to work; any other network device or service (like Home Assistant) with Local Fulfillment support can work with your Smart Plug.
Smart Home Ecosystems
There is no doubt that, you get Alexa and Google Home support with almost all smart plugs in the market. It is little spotty if you are an Apple HomeKit user. What if you plan to do automations using IFTTT?
Smart Living India website can help you to figure out if a smart device supports multiple ecosystems and what are they. Don’t forget to use our Comparison tool to figure out how these products are different.
Warranty is Very important
As you know, any device that has built-in electronics circuitry will eventually give troubles. These are prone to electrical fluctuations, lightning or life decaying components. Check the Warranty terms and how the process works for each brand or manufacturer.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for an easy and affordable way to reduce your energy consumption and save money on your energy bill, smart plugs are an excellent option. By using smart plugs to turn off electronics when they’re not in use, schedule devices to turn off when you’re not home, and monitor your energy usage, you can significantly reduce your energy consumption and save money. Plus, with the added benefits of convenience, security, and safety, smart plugs are a smart investment for any homeowner.
By using the practical tips provided in this article, you can optimize your smart plug usage and reduce your overall energy consumption. Don’t hesitate to start using smart plugs today to enjoy the benefits of a more energy-efficient home. It’s a small change that can make a big difference in your wallet. And if you have any questions about smart plugs or energy efficiency, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional for guidance.
For more on Wi-Fi Smart Plugs, read this post: 5 Benefits of Using Smart WiFi Plugs in Your Home and Learn to Choose the Best for Your Needs
Related Products
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FAQs on Smart Plugs
Do smart plugs save energy?
Yes, smart plugs can help you save energy by turning off devices when you’re not using them and scheduling them to turn off when you’re not home.
Do smart plugs work with all devices?
Most smart plugs work with any device that can be plugged into an electrical outlet, including lamps, fans, and appliances.
How much money can you save with smart plugs?
The amount of money you can save with smart plugs depends on your energy usage and the number of devices you have connected to them. However, many homeowners report significant savings on their energy bills after installing smart plugs.
Can you control smart plugs with your voice?
Yes, most smart plugs can be controlled with voice commands through smart home speakers, such as Amazon Echo Devices, Google Home Devices, Apple HomeKit.
How do I set up a smart plug?
To set up a smart plug, simply plug it into an electrical outlet and connect it to your home’s Wi-Fi network through the manufacturer’s app. Follow the app’s instructions to complete the setup process.
Can smart plugs be used outdoors?
Yes, there are smart plugs available that are designed for outdoor use. These plugs are weatherproof and can be used to control outdoor lighting or other outdoor appliances, but it’s best to check the manufacturer’s recommendations before use.
Can smart plugs be used with multiple appliances at once?
Yes, some smart plugs have multiple sockets such as Smart Extension Boxes, that allow you to control multiple appliances at once.
Products from Amazon & Others
- Suitable For - Computers, Laptops, Printers, Microwaves, Coffee Machines, TVs, Stereos, DVD players, Games Consoles, Heaters, AC etc…
- Voice Control - Voice Control device connected with Smart Plug via Alexa & Google Assistant.
- App Control - One app to control all...
- Input voltage : 100-240VAC
- Frequency :50/60 Hz
- Output voltage : 100-240VAC
- Maximum output current : 10A , Socket type : 3 pin socket 10A
- Maximum power: 2500W (Resistive), Wireless standard WiFi : 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n
- COMPACT PLUG - Portable, easy to install, suitable for heavy duty appliances like geyser, room heater, microwave, refrigerator, etc.
- SIMPLE VOICE CONTROL: The Smart plugs that work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri. Just say to Amazon Alexa or Hey Google to turn on or...
- Smart Plug – Suitable for small appliances like Television sets, electric kettle, table fans, set top box, air purifiers etc.
- Wireless Control – Control electrical devices from anywhere with the Wipro Smart app on your smartphone
- Monitor energy consumption of your...
- Smart Plug, 16A, Warranty : 1 year
- Smart Home Appliances in a Jiffy: With the Wipro 16 Amp smart plug, you can transform your appliances into smart devices. An excellent smart plug for home, you can convert your AC, geyser, and even microwave to a smart device with a few simple...
- All prices mentioned above are in Indian Rupee.
- This product is available at Tatacliq, Amazon.in.
- At tatacliq.com you can purchase SmartiQo 10A Wi-Fi Smart Plug (White) for only Rs. 649 , which is 35% less than the cost in Amazon.in (Rs. 999).
- The lowest price of Wipro 16A Wi-Fi Smart Plug, Suitable for Large Appliances like Geysers, Microwave Ovens, and Air Conditioners, Energy Monitoring, Wireless Control, and Voice Control (Pack of 1, Polycarbonate, White) was obtained on August 25, 2024 6:37 am.
Looking for more products? Click the below button to check the Amazon Smart Plugs page for more recommendations.
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