Are Smart Plugs Worth it ?

piperm87

Not sure if this has been asked before but as the discussion title really.

Are Smart Plugs worth it for turning devices off when not in use?  specifically devices where the plug sockets aren't easily accessible?

Many Thanks

pochase

It depends what devices you are talking about.

I have connected my Tapo 110  smart meter/smart plug to a battery and it shows a usage of 1w. No idea if and how it is rounded, it could be 0.6w to 1.4w, and I would need to connect also a pure smart plug, but I would expect similar usage, as they are also connect to WIFI.

So if you just want to switch off a device like a modern TV with 0.5w standby, you will use more energy for the smart plug than you can save.

The more standby power that is switched off with the smart plug, the more sensible it becomes. And of course you have to pay for the smart plug first, so it takes a while before you start saving.

A Tapo smart plug is currently 8.99 (excluding delivery) at Amazon. For £8.99 you get at the new cap rate of 52p 17.3Kwh of electricity. That is just under 2w per hour.

If you want to save in the first year you need to save more than this 3w per hour by switching the devices off.

Astria

piperm87 said:

Not sure if this has been asked before but as the discussion title really.

Are Smart Plugs worth it for turning devices off when not in use?  specifically devices where the plug sockets aren't easily accessible?

Many Thanks

I use one to turn on LED lighting in the kitchen, it automatically comes on at dusk and goes off at 2am. Makes the kitchen light enough that I don't have to use the main light switch which uses substantially more power as they are halogen, so the "big light" only comes on when we really need it.

I don't use them to turn things off that are in standby as those devices typically are using less power than the plug requires for itself.

JohnPo

I use one of my dishwasher as their is no timer on it.  I am Octopus Go so have have 7.5p KwHr between 00.30 and 04.30.  I simply press the start button, then use the TAPO App. to switch it off and then set a timer on the App. so it powers up shortly after 00:30.

Has worked reliably doing that for months, much better on trying to stay up late to switch the dishwasher on manually before I go to bed, which highly unreliable.

wild666

I find that an extension lead with 6 or more sockets that can be turned off individually is the best method. They may cost £15 to £20 each but the costs can easily be recouped if appliances that are used plugged into them are not often used. I use the TV and games consoles about once per week and it is put through a surround sound system, in the time I've had these extension leads they have more than paid for themselves.   

OC_66

Yeah, I'd say so  

DullGreyGuy

piperm87 said:

Are Smart Plugs worth it for turning devices off when not in use?  specifically devices where the plug sockets aren't easily accessible? 

You need to compare the standby use -v- the use by the plug itself... many devices are very low power on standby.

Personally have used them more for convenience, effectively adding a timer to something that doesn't have one built in, make a lamp smart cheaper than a smart bulb would be, turn the coffee machine on from the bedroom or on the way home etc

[Deleted User]

Smart plugs and strips are as cheap as chips* at the moment. I have just bought a TP Link 3 socket strip from John Lewis for £22.

If this strip reduces my baseload by 25W or 250Wh/day (based on 10 hours off) at the new Cap unit price of c.52p/kWh then I am saving 13p/day. This gives a payback period of 169 days.

*Chips may be more expensive.

sandy700

I used to have a timer socket connected to a four way extension lead  that switched my phone and tablet chargers off after a couple of hours.

When I plugged them into a Tapo P110 smart socket I discovered that the timer used 2 watts and when my phones and tablets were  charged the chargers drew no current so I was wasting 2 watts 24 hours a day 7 days a week etc. even after I removed my phones and tablets from their chargers.

So the £10 I spent on it is saving me 17.52 kW per year and I just leave y chargers plugged in, after all they use no power when the phone and tablets are charged.

And I don't get the faint tick tick tick from the timer.

I also discovered that my laptop when charged but still plugged into the mains uses no electricity..

In fact most of my chargers don't use any electricity when plugged in but not charging.

My desktop computer uses 101 watts when on so now I send it to sleep after 5 mins of no use.

The things that use most electricity because they are on continuously, are my fridge and separate freezer, my Sky Q box, cooker clock and my virgin router.

And washing a load of clothes and drying them in the tumble dryer uses 5 kW. a lot cheaper than taking them to a laundromat.

Best money saving £10 I spent this year.

Phlik

Yes they can be, whether they are or not will be down to your own use case.
We have three that we'd bought several years ago for switching Christmas lights on and off as the sockets were very awkward to reach. They've now been repurposed, one switches the multi socket for the TV, av amplifier, Amazon fire TV, Chromecast, network switch and Xbox, that lot together on standby was around 15 Watts. Another is used for the charger for the stair lift, we have solar panels so it makes sense to prevent the stair lift charging over night. The third is used in winter with a 500 Watt oil filled radiator, on brighter winter days we switch it on if solar generation is high enough.

jimjames

I bought one yesterday, it's certainly useful for measuring the energy use of different appliances. It could be useful for turning items on and off. But overall "is it worth it" depends how you are defining worth it, whether by cost or usefulness.