🔌 Smart Plugs: The Underrated Smart Home Gadget

Frank Bravo 0:08
Welcome to your Tech Bake over the podcast that gives you tips and tricks to help you simplify and get more out of the technology in your life. I'm your host, Frank Bravo. Today we're talking about Smart plugs, the underrated smart home gadget. When people think of smart homes or they hear smart home, a lot of them things come to mind. Usually it's the expense or that they're going to be complicated. Most people think about sci fi movies where you're just talking to your house. But what if I told you that one of the most easy ways to get a house into a smart home, and one of the easiest upgrades you can do that only costs about 20 bucks, takes no effort at all, and doesn't require you to be good at tech at all is a smart plug. And that's what we're going to talk about today. If you've ever thought about dipping your tone in the smart home technology but don't know where to start, a smart plug is probably the best place to go. And it's one of the things that most people overlook. Hands down, it's the easiest thing to begin with. They don't replace anything at your home. They don't require any special wiring, and it doesn't lock you into some giant ecosystem. Although multiple plugs from different companies can be a real pain, but they make your home feel smarter almost instantly. A lot of people skip right past them because they seem, well, boring. But boring is exactly why they were. So what really is a smart plug? A smart plug is a small adapter that plugs into the wall outlet, and then you plug something into it like a lamp, a fan, maybe a holiday lights. That's it. It doesn't make the lamp smarter, but it makes your outlet smarter. And once it's plugged in, you can turn it on from a device using an app or your phone, or a schedule, or even your voice. If you have a smart speaker like Alexa or Google Assistant or Siri. Here's why I think smart plugs deserve more attention than they get. At first, there are very low risk way to start a smart home. If you hate it, unplug it, give it to a friend and you're done. Second, if solves a real problem, some everyday problem, not a tech problem, a life problem. You know those moments when you're halfway down the road and you think, Did I turn that light off? Or I know we're going to get home late and that house is going to be pitch black. I want to make sure there's a light on. Smart plugs eliminate those moments very quietly in your life. And third, they can help with energy awareness and your energy bill. Not by magically slashing your electric bill overnight, but by helping you stop wasting power without thinking about it. A quick shout out to listeners like you helped make your tech make over possible. Your support helps keep this podcast going and I truly appreciate it. Want to contribute? Just click the link in the show notes or visit your makeover. Plus, as a special thank you, supporters who give $25 or more will get $25 off a one time consultation with me to help you simplify your tech. Thanks for being part of the Your Tech Makeover community. Now back to what I was saying. So let's talk about some real world uses. I've already mentioned lamps and lamps is almost the perfect example, which is why I've talked about it multiple times now. If you have a light that wants to come on at sunset, you can set that that same light can go off at a certain time, so you don't have to remember to turn it off. You might want to put them on a coffee maker. That's another popular one. I'm not saying you should turn one on remotely without water or coffee in it, but if you already prep things overnight, having it ready for you when you wake up is a small luxury. Holiday lights are another big one too. We just got past the holiday season and when I do my outside light, they always are on a smart plug. They're great for people who have mobility challenges. To anyone who doesn't want to bend over or can't bend over to turn something on. A single tap on the phone is a is not a big deal at all. You can think of them as a mature version of the Clapper. If you're old enough to remember what a clapper is, then you'll know what I'm talking about. If you're not. Ask your parents or grandparents. So how else do I use smart plugs? When we're on vacation, I set a light to mimic my normal morning and evening routines. Lights come on, then they go off several times a day when I would be at home. It makes the house feel lived in even when you're away. Another use I use them for are days when I'm not sure that we'll be back. You know, if we're going to be out late in before nightfall. I set them for our dog, Stella, so that she doesn't come home or we don't come home, I should say. And she's sitting in the dark. So setting up those smart plugs before we go. It allows her to have some light. And it's a great thing if you're thinking, if you're looking at doing some smart plugs, I'd encourage you not to chase the obscure cheap brands. The this is electricity we're talking about, and you may open yourself up to issues if you buy faulty, cheap ones. There are a few well-established names out there that have been around for years, and they work really reliably. You might want to look at TP links Castle line. Amazon has their own smart plug and Miro's the things to look for is compatibility with your phone or your smart home assistant. Like if like I was saying like Siri or Google Home. Solid recent reviews and a simple on off function. You don't need power monitoring, and you probably don't want advanced features like automations, at least to start. But knowing that they're there is not a bad thing. Either. Before we go any further, there's one quick reality check that I want to share. Not to scare you off, just to set expectations, right? Smart plugs are fantastic for convenience, but they're not meant to run everything in your house positively. They're not meant for things that need to stay on all the time. It's not something you're going to want to control your microwave with, or any medical devices you may want to also think about putting a refrigerator on it. If you lose power, it would be a really a big problem. Then a smart plug isn't right for you. For those items in, they also may not be rated for such devices. These devices also depend on your home's Wi-Fi, so if the internet goes down, you may not be able to control them remotely for a bit. In most cases, whatever stays on, stays on, and whatever stays off, whatever was off stays off. But it's also worth knowing. And almost all of them have a manual switch that you could go over and press as well. Obviously, if the power is off, that doesn't do you a lot of good. But this is why I think of smart plugs as a comfort upgrade, not a critical infrastructure. And they're there to make your life easier, not to run anything essential. And honestly, that's exactly why they work. Like I said, it's the part of a smart home I recommend to people who tell me I'm really not a tech person. Smart plugs don't need to be something that changes the way you live. They don't require a whole system, or a control panel or a new way to think about your house. You can just try one. And like I said, if you like it, great. And if you don't, unplug it and give it to a friend and you're done and you don't need to automate everything, this is very important. You don't have to put a smart plug on every light in your house or every device you have. You only need to make your home smarter that you want to make smarter. Pick one small thing. Make that one thing easier. And for a lot of people, that's the moment the technology stops feeling like a project and starts feeling really useful. So if you're thinking about doing a little spring refresh around the house, don't overlook the small stuff. A smart plug won't impress your tech savvy friends, but it might quietly make your morning smoother, your evenings more comfortable, and your home feeling just a little more welcoming. And to me, that's a win. So what's the one thing in your house that you'd love to automate with a smart plug? Let me know. And as always, if you have ideas for a topic that you'd like me to cover, please feel free to contact me via email at Frank at your Tech makeover. Com. That's it for now. Thanks for listening to your tech makeover, if you haven't already. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform so that you don't miss an episode. You can also check out your Tech makeover.com, where you can see more information about this episode in every episode. If you're on Substack, make sure you search out the Your Tech Makeover newsletter and subscribe there, because I always drop a little few hints in there as well. That may or may not be part of this podcast. And as always, if you want to find out more about me, please visit Bravo. It's until next time, I'm Frank Bravo, and this has been your technique over.