5 BRILLIANT Ideas to Make the Most of Smart Plugs
Smart plugs may sound boring, but you can actually do some pretty cool things with them.
As a tech enthusiast, I’m a big fan of smart home gadgets, and smart plugs were among the first I integrated into my setup.
You can do so much with them! From basic things like using them to power on a bedside lamp to clever home automation.
On top of that, they are affordable, making them ideal for beginners in the smart home realm. At the time of writing, a basic TP-Link Tapo smart plug can be purchased for as little as £9.99. How cool is that?
Over the years, I’ve experimented with various smart plugs from different brands, including TP-Link and some lesser-known brands, and each smart plug I had proved to be useful.
But without any further ado, here are 5 brilliant ways you can utilise smart plugs in your smart home…
1. Automate Your Morning Routine
As I am writing this blog post in the morning, I wanted to start with some ways you could automate your morning routine.
During the winter months, I programmed my smart plug to turn on my bedside at the time I woke up. This illuminated my room, making it easier to get out of bed in the dark.
I’ve now updated this setup to a smart bulb which provides me with a gentler light, triggered when I disable my alarm via Shortcuts.
Being a coffeeholic, I have a smart plug connected to my kettle. When I disable my alarm, the kettle boils by the time I go downstairs, speeding up my morning routine.
The only trouble with this method is that you have to remember to fill the kettle before going to bed. To help with this, I have a reminder set on my phone and Alexa.
Before leaving for work, I use smart plugs to turn off all non-essential electronics, reducing wasted electricity. I have an NFC tag near the front door, which when scanned turns off these devices. Alternatively, I can use a Shortcut on my phone or ask Alexa.
2. Improve Home Security
With many people going away for the summer, I think it’s crucial that I talk about enhancing your home security.
Smart plugs can automatically turn on devices like lights and TVs to create the impression that someone is home. I like that TP-Link products (not sponsored) offer an ‘away mode’ that randomly turns devices on and off during set times, perfect for when you’re away.
You can also manually control devices remotely. This works great if you prefer to control your devices manually while you’re out.
3. Automate Your Kitchen
Smart plugs also prove to be great in the kitchen!
As mentioned earlier, a smart plug can turn your kettle on in the mornings, just ensure that you are careful and that there is water in the kettle for the morning. Many kettles have a fail-safe that will disable the kettle if there is no water inside, but yours might not. So it’s worth checking before you try this as this can potentially damage your kettle.
With the help of smart plugs, you can also program your coffee machine to start brewing when you disable your alarm. There is nothing better than waking up to the smell of coffee! This was a routine I used when I had a coffee machine, but since my coffee machine broke, I’ve reverted to more traditional methods.
You can even use a smart plug with your slow cooker. Just fill it with your ingredients and program your smart plug to turn on at the relevant time. You’ll be coming home to a cooked meal. How cool is that!
If you have LED lights in the kitchen that plug into the mains, you can easily power them on or off with the help of a smart plug.
4. Save Money on Electricity
Smart plugs can even help you save electricity.
I like to turn off all non-essential devices at night and when I’m not home. As an example, I have an automation that turns off my living room lights and TV setup overnight and reactivates them in the morning.
With the help of NFC tags, I can scan one near my front door to turn off all non-essential devices before leaving the house. Alternatively, I ask Alexa to run the same routine.
Some smart plugs also track power consumption, offering insights into your electricity usage.
5. Cool down During the Summer
I live in the UK, and I don’t have air conditioning in my house. This means that I have to rely on fans during hot days.
With the help of smart plugs, you can control fans with your phone, voice assistant, or automation. I’ve set up an automation that turns on the fans when the room temperature exceeds 27 °C and off when it drops below 25 °C. I primarily use this automation when I’m home otherwise, I disable it.
If you have plug-in heaters, you can control them from your phone or with the help of your smart assistant.
Final Thoughts
The possibilities with smart plugs are endless. You can use them for so many use cases and set up some very clever automations with them.
Whether you’re looking to automate your morning routine, improve your home security, automate your kitchen, save on electricity, or stay comfortable during the summer, smart plugs are brilliant and affordable.
Overall, smart plugs are a fantastic investment for anyone looking to start a smart home or expand their existing setup. Not only are they affordable, but they offer so much!
If you use smart plugs, what do you use them for? Let us know in the comments!