Do you know how much energy your devices and appliances are using?
Smart plugs can be great accessories for controlling devices around your home. They work with voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Alexa and can turn almost any lamp or appliance into a smart device you can control with your voice.
But that's just the beginning — get a smart plug with energy monitoring features and you'll be able to track how much energy your favorite devices and appliances draw. By having a better idea of which things around your house are drawing more power, you can make sensible decisions that could end up saving you a ton of money on your power bill.
There are a ton of different brands and styles to choose from, so find one that will work best in your home.
- WeMo Insight Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitoring
- TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug w/ Energy Monitoring
- Sonoff S31 Wi-Fi Smart Power Monitoring Plug
- iDevices Wi-Fi Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitoring
WeMo Insight Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitoring
The WeMo Insight Smart Plug is a compact smart home accessory that lets you control your lights and appliances using the Wemo app and connect to your Google Home or Amazon Echo speakers without a hub or anything.
From the app, you can monitor the energy usage for the connected appliance in real time. There are also some other really cool features built into this smart plug such as "Away Mode", which will randomly turn lights on and off when you're on vacation to confuse potential home invaders.
You can get the WeMo smart plug for just $35 on Amazon.
TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug w/ Energy Monitoring
The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug is another quality option from a reputable brand. While it's a bit bigger than the WeMo plug, it offers much of the same functionality including support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
From the Kasa TP-Link app (which is a better reviewed app than the WeMo app, if that matters), you can monitor real-time and historical power consumption data from your connected electronics. You can also sign up to recieve weekly and monthly summaries so you can do testing with different appliances and devices around your home and see which are drawing the most power.
No hub is required, just a solid Wi-Fi connection. Get a single plug for $30 or get a two-pack for just $40.
Sonoff S31 Wi-Fi Smart Power Monitoring Plug
The Sonoff S31 Wi-Fi Smart plug is a revamped product that allows you to plug two of them into the same wall plate. There's support for Alexa and Google Home, and you're able to remotely control or schedule your devices using the eWeLink app which has been described as "usable".
This is one of the cheaper options on this list, starting at just $19 for a single plug or $37 for a two-pack. The design might fit better around your home, so it's worth considering.
iDevices Wi-Fi Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitoring
The biggest difference with the iDevices Smart Plug is how they moved the plug to the side of the accessory, which might make this an easier option for plugging in appliances in some household scenarios.
The iDevice Smart Plug works with Alexa and Google Assistant (also Siri but meh) and lets you control your lamps or appliances using the iDevices Connected app. It's a great option if you already own other iDevices… devices.
In terms of energy monitoring, the app will show you the current power consumption and the average daily usage, but doesn't offer as much of the deep dive statistics as some of the other plugs on this list.
This plug is available for just $29.
Which smart plug is right for your home?
Have you used any of the above plugs in your home? Let us know about your experiences in the comments!
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