5 Cool New Ways You Can Use Smart Plugs In Your Home – BGR

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As far as smart and connected devices go, smart plugs are relatively simple. At their most basic, you can turn them on or off remotely, usually from a mobile app, or schedule times for that to happen. The idea is to take any standard outlet, into which you’d plug lights, appliances, and other electronics, and make it just a little bit smarter. Depending on the brand and model of your smart plug, you may also open up access to virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Home Assistant. They’re also one of the cheapest ways to turn your house into a smart home without installing expensive tech.

We’d forgive you for thinking that because smart plugs are so simple, there aren’t many creative ways to use them, but that’s actually far from the truth. In my house, for example, I have Arcade1Up cabinets organized and connected to smart plugs. When I tell Alexa to “turn on the arcade,” she automatically turns on all the cabinets (including a “Mortal Kombat” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” cabinet), along with RGB lighting I have set up in my play room. There are a few other cool ways to use smart plugs around your home, so let’s explore some of them.

Some older readers out there may remember those mechanical light timers that cycled lights on and off to make it look like someone was home and busy. Those still exist today, but a smart plug can do exactly that (provided it supports smart scheduling) while also offering a host of additional controls, options, and triggers. You could simply schedule a lamp by your front door to turn on at a certain time every evening, or you could sync it to local sunset and sunrise times.

Alternatively, you could create an automation that triggers when something else happens, like turning on the lights in your living room when your garage door opens. This would allow you to walk into a fully illuminated home rather than a dark, scary dungeon. Now, imagine it’s time for your vacation or you’re out doing some late-night shopping. The lights can cycle on or off to make it look like someone’s home, potentially warding off would-be intruders. Certain Kasa Smart Plugs even have a dedicated “Away Mode” that does precisely this — they turn on and off at random times.

Kids — gotta love ’em, right? As parents, it makes a lot of sense to set screen-time limits, adjust console and gameplay hours, and potentially lock down access to personal TVs, computers, and other devices. Sometimes, kids need to be focusing on homework and studies, while other times, they unfortunately meet with necessary consequences. Who knows — maybe you’re simply building healthy habits. Regardless of your reasoning, you can connect those devices to a smart plug so they turn off and stay off at certain times. Yes, you can do this remotely, as intended, or you could, say, set them to turn off at your kids’ bedtime every night.

The beauty of smart plug scheduling is that you can configure different interaction times based on the day, like having the plugs turn off earlier on weekdays than on the weekends. Some smart plugs do have a built-in on-off button, so you’ll probably still want to make sure the gadgets stay off and that your kids didn’t sneakily turn them back on. Still, smart plugs are a fantastic way to remind everyone it’s time for a break, especially when doing activities like gaming where it’s easy to lose track of time or play for a few hours too long.

Plenty of people leave their power adapters plugged into the wall even when their devices, like their phones, aren’t plugged in and charging. What you may not realize (or maybe you do) is that those USB chargers are still wasting energy, albeit in small amounts. That can add up over time for a single charger, and if you and your family have multiple adapters plugged in, well, energy usage from that alone could be enough to raise your power bills. Fortunately, you can use some smart plugs to turn off power and sever the use of electricity altogether once your devices are charged, or when there’s no load detected. Select TP-Link plugs, for example, have a “Charge Guard” mode that stops power output when the device is estimated to be charged.

Think broader, though. Instead of using the cut-off feature for smartphones and smaller devices, you could use it for appliances like your washer and dryer, TVs, and other gear that might be eating up a lot more energy in standby. Even if not automated, some smart plugs monitor electricity usage and send alerts when it changes, which could allow you to remotely power off the related plugs when they’ve finished their regularly programmed tasks, like when your dryer finishes a cycle.

The most obvious use for smart plugs is to place them inside your home to automate lamps, electronics, and other gear. But there are also smart plugs, even weather-proof options, that you can use outdoors and in your backyard — these represent just one of several outdoor smart devices you didn’t know you wanted until now. Sure, you might still be automating and scheduling lights in this case, but it’s still creative and different. No more going outside to plug in or unplug holiday lights during the cold months, for instance.

You can also automate decorative lighting, permanent outdoor lights that don’t have built-in smart functions, blow-up decorations like a mini dancing inflatable tube guy or, in my case, pool lights and a pool pump. There are so many ways to use smart plugs with outdoor electronics, just like inside, that these examples are barely scratching the surface.

We’re all busy — it’s just the way of the world. Sometimes, you don’t have time to cook dinner when you get home, but you also don’t want to eat takeout or fast food. This can make a long night even longer, or turn a bad evening into a hangry one for the whole family. Instead, consider using a smart plug to turn on an appliance remotely, like a slow cooker or instant pot, to get your meal started before you even get home.

Now, the caveat here is that you still have to do some prep before you leave. Depending on the dish, though, it shouldn’t be too complicated. For example, try adding all of the ingredients to your slow cooker before you head out. If you’re making something like meat that needs to remain on the cold side, just add enough ice so that it will eventually melt and become part of the meal, like in a stew. This method won’t work for every type of dish, but when you really need it, it could save you a lot of time during those late-night arrivals.