What To Use Smart Plugs For? How To Simplify Life With Smart Plugs.

Last Updated on March 17, 2020

Smart plugs are affordable, incredibly issue to use, and a pillar of any smart home. They allow you to easily control power to your devices through apps on your phone, smart hubs (Alexa & Google Home), preset schedules and more. You have probably looked at them before and maybe even implemented a few to switch on/off some lights in your home. The good news is that there are many other uses for smart plugs around the home. The potential uses for smart plugs are really only limited by your imagination. Below you will find some tips on great uses for smart plugs that we hope will be a jumping off point for taking advantage of all the convenience they can offer in your home or business.

Lighting

For most new smart plug users, lighting control is the obvious, first way to gain value from the use of smart plugs. Common ways to use smart plugs to control your lighting include the convenience of turning lights on and off from your phone. This can be accomplished while you are in your home or away at work or on vacation. Additionally, you can easily implement preset schedules, allowing lights to turn on and off at preset times. This is especially helpful when you want to appear to be home. Also, it comes in handy if you are coming home late at night and don’t want to come home to a dark house. I personally, really like having my living room lights switch off automatically around the time I normally head to bed. This is convenient and also gives me a visual cue when it is time for me to get some rest.

Security

As I mentioned above, the ability to control lights remotely can help you give off the appearance that your home is vacant when you’re away. Another great way to ramp up your home’s security through the use of smart plugs is the ability to remotely control the power to your security cameras or security system. Suppose that you want the WiFi camera in your home to be on when you are at work, but not at home. You can simply set a schedule and easily monitor the interior of your home when you are away. Now, you know right away if something is wrong at home when you are at work. Or, at least you will know that your pet has the food and water they need.

Device Control

If you are like most people, you probably have a full time power feed to your home computer, monitors, and theater systems. This can be a big waste of electricity and an added expense. Why not control power to these devices with a smart plug? You can easily turn them off remotely or when away and save energy while extending their life. With a smart plug, you have enhanced control over your devices and what you leave on and when.

Screen Time

If you have young ones at home, you know the screen time struggle is real. Whether you want to control access to YouTube, the TV, or other electronics, you can easily accomplish this with a simple smart plug. Want to limit TV until after homework is finished? Keep your devices off and turn them back on when homework is completed. Or set a schedule to only allow access at certain times of day. Screen time isn’t just an issue for kids though. You can even use smart plugs to regulate the times of day that you personally spend on screen time. Maybe this will get you to finish that book that is gathering dust on the coffee table?

Kitchen & Cooking

Smart plugs offer a lot of convenience when it comes to controlling the devices in your kitchen. Have dinner ready to go in the slow cooker and want it to start at a specific time during the day? Simply program your smart plug accordingly or turn it on through your smart phone app. Want to roll out of bed to a fresh cup of coffee or tea. Have your coffee pot or electric tea kettle on and ready to go when you wake up in the morning!

Temperature & Humidity

There are many devices used in the home to control our comfort level. These includes fans, window AC units, space heaters, gas fireplaces, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers. Whether you want to cool, heat, or control humidity, a smart plug can get the job done. There is no point in paying the energy costs to control your home’s environment when you are away. A simple solution is set a schedule and come home to a cool home in the summer or a cozy fire in the winter without paying for these creature comforts to run all day.

Rarely Used Batteries

Do you have a cordless drill or other power tools? Or how about a marine or RV battery in the garage? You don’t want to leave these on a charger at all times, however they never seem to be charged when you actually need them. If you are at the office and realize you want to use your drill later that evening, you can simply turn on your smart plug and know that you are coming home to a full charged battery for your power tools. No more project delays due to dead batteries!

Hard To Reach Outlets

There is nothing more annoying than that electrical outlet that is behind a bed or other piece of furniture. Installing a smart plug in these locations allows you to easily control the power supply of these hard to reach places so that you can avoid the hassle of trying to access these hard to reach outlets that we all have scattered around our homes.

Control Internet Availability

A simple and logical place for a smart plug is for your internet router. Having your router connected in this way allows you to easily control access to your home network. Want to turn off internet access for the family on a specific schedule? Or maybe you want to make sure your network is not accessible when you are away from the home? Having your WiFi router connected to a smart plug makes these tasks simple.

Save Energy

In addition to all the convenience and security benefits of smart plugs, they also have the ability to help both the environment and your bottom line. Why waste energy when you’re away or don’t need it? How about the opportunity to save some money along the way. The fact is, smart plugs allow you to save energy in your home, which puts more money back into your pocket.

The Best Smart Plugs

We hope that you now have some great ideas on the ways to use smart plugs in your home. They offer many conveniences and are an affordable way to automate your home. Here some of the best smart plugs available on the market that you can easily use in your own home.