- Making the Most of Your Smart Home: Common Use Cases - March 28, 2023
- Eco Mode at Night: Maximizing Nest’s Energy Savings - March 20, 2023
- Connecting & Controlling Smart Home Devices: A Guide - March 18, 2023
Disclosure: Links marked with * are Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases if you decide to make a purchase through these links – at no cost for you!
Smart radio-controlled plugs can automate your everyday life. So that you know how much electricity you are using, there are numerous smart plugs with energy monitoring. In this article, we’ll introduce you to the best of them.
Table of Contents
Eve Energy
Check Price:
Eve energy is a very compact smart plug for a smart home. With Eve Energy, you can easily turn devices and lights on and off with Siri or via the app. Like the triple plug from the same program, Eve Energy measures the power consumption of the connected device.
With the app, you can create schedules that automatically turn the connected device on and off. You can also enter the current price of your electricity. Then, with the help of Eve Energy, you always have an overview of the expected costs for the operation of the connected device. The smart plug itself requires very little power. The power consumption is less than 1 watt.
- Dimensions: 56 x 56 x 79 mm
- max. switching capacity: 2,500 watts
- Switching cycles: k. A.
- Weight: k. A.
Eve Energy Strip – smart 3-way plug with consumption measurement
Check Price:
Eve Energy Strip is a smart triple power strip for Apple users. The power strip measures the power consumption of each connected device. You can visualize the total power consumption per day, week, month or year as you wish via the Eve app.
An estimate of electricity costs is also provided by the app as needed. The Eve Energy Strip power strip fits seamlessly into the Apple world. It can be easily integrated into an existing Wi-Fi network (2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n).
To control the triple plug, you need an iPhone or iPad with a current iOS operating system. To control it on the go, you’ll need a HomePod or the latest generation Apple TV.
- Dimensions: 40 x 70 x 280 mm
- max. switching capacity: 3,680 watts
- Switching cycles: k. A.
- Weight: k. A.
Homematic IP switch-metering plug
Check Price:
The Homematic IP switch metering plug allows you to switch connected lights and electrical devices on and off time-controlled. During operation, the intelligent plug measures the energy consumption and the power of the connected device.
With this intelligent adapter plug, the switching of the connected devices is very easy. The accuracy of the consumption measurement is very high with a deviation of only 1 % ± 0.03 W.
Thanks to its compact design, the Homematic IP switch-metering plug does not require much space and does not cover any other plugs. In standby mode, the smart plug consumes only 0.3 watts. You can control the IP plug with Amazon Alexa and Google Home as well as via a free app.
- Dimensions: 39 x 70 x 70 mm
- max. switching capacity: 3,680 watts
- Switching cycles: k. A.
- Weight: 154 g
TP-Link KP115 Kasa – smart WLAN plug with energy consumption monitoring
Check Price:
TP-Link offers with the KP115 Kasa ine smart WLAN plug with integrated energy consumption monitoring. With dimensions of only 72 × 51 × 40 mm, the very compact plug uses WLAN and does not require its own bridge.
It is easily installed and operated via the free KASA app from TP-Link. The Kasa 115 plug continuously monitors the power consumption of the connected device and stores the power consumed in the past.
- Dimensions: 72 × 51 × 40 mm
- max. switching capacity: 3,680 watts
- Switching cycles: k. A.
- Weight: 105 g
Buying smart plugs with energy consumption measurement – what do I need to consider?
In recent years, the selection of smart plugs with energy consumption measurement has grown considerably. In addition to brand manufacturers such as Philips, TP-Link or Hama, there are numerous smart plugs from unknown manufacturers.
To help you find the right smart plugs with energy consumption measurement for your needs despite the almost confusing selection, we have compiled the most important selection criteria for you. The selection criteria that you should pay attention to when buying smart plugs are:
- Functions
- Maximum load capacity
- Compatibility
- Size
Functions
Not every smart plug can also measure the power consumption of the connected device. It is a common misconception regarding the capabilities of smart plugs. Be sure to check whether this function is explicitly mentioned by the manufacturer.
If energy consumption can be measured, it should be possible to save historical consumption and create evaluations. A smart plug can make an important contribution to saving energy. The prerequisite is that schedules for switching the connected devices on and off can be created via the app of the plug.
Maximum load capacity
For a smart plug, the load capacity refers to the maximum power consumption of the connected devices. With inexpensive smart plugs, the load capacity is often less than 2,000 to 2,300 watts. This power is often already reached by fan heaters or fans.
If you plug in more powerful devices, the smart outlet will likely go bye-bye quickly. High-quality brand plugs can easily switch devices with a power of up to 3,680 watts at a current of 16 amps.
For these intelligent plugs, even powerful appliances such as an instantaneous water heater, a kettle or a radiant heater are no problem.
Compatibility
With most smart outlets with energy usage metering, it’s now a given that you can control them not only with the manufacturer’s app, but also with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
However, the option of voice control is far from being available with all smart plugs. The more options the selected plug offers you in terms of control, the more flexible you can use it. If you use an Apple SmartHome, you should make sure that you can integrate the plugs into this system.
For devices that use DECT or ZigBee wireless technology, you need a control centre. This control unit is indispensable for forwarding switching commands that you give by voice control or with your smartphone to the plug.
There are some manufacturers whose radio-controlled plugs can only be used with the control centre, the so-called gateway / bridge or hub, offered at the same time by the manufacturer.
You should pay attention to whether your favorite smart plugs are tied to the manufacturer’s system. It is often better if you can also connect them to other devices.
Size
When buying smart plugs, you should also take a look at the size. Especially if you want to use the plug as an intermediate plug in a conventional multiple plug in the wall. If the smart plug is too big, it can block other plugs on the right and left, so that they can no longer be used.
Related questions
Can I control any smart plug with Amazon Alexa?
No, unfortunately this is not possible. In order to control a smart plug with the Amazon voice assistant, the plug must be compatible with Alexa. The same applies to voice control with Google Assistant. Not every smart plug is suitable for this either.
What is the power consumption of a smart plug?
In standby mode, a smart plug must not consume more than 1 watt. This is what the legislator has stipulated. This means that in standby mode, a smart plug consumes around 8.7 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. Many smart plugs consume around 4 to 5 watts in operation.
How are smart plugs installed?
During installation, smart plugs are integrated into the home smart home system. This is usually done easily via the app of the plug. The routine for setting up a smart plug can differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, the user guidance in the app is usually relatively simple.
Does every WLAN plug offer energy consumption measurement?
No. WLAN plugs are always smart plugs, but not every one is equipped with energy consumption measurement. Only smart plugs that are equipped with special sensors can measure the power consumption of the connected devices and display the consumption values via the app.
Attention: When installing electronic equipment, please be sure to observe the manufacturer’s safety instructions. You have to take care of your own safety. The information on this site only helps you to learn.
Disclosure: This website is the property of Martin Lütkemeyer and is operated by Martin Lütkemeyer. Martin Lütkemeyer is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to enable Web sites to earn advertising revenue through advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Links marked with * are affiliate links.