Imagine this: you’re snuggled up on the sofa, binge-watching your favourite series, and suddenly you remember that you’ve left the kitchen lights on all day. It’s moments like these that make you wish for a little extra control over your home. With smart plugs, you can effortlessly manage your devices, saving both energy and cash. Whether you want to create schedules for your lamps or keep an eye on your energy usage, these nifty gadgets are here to simplify your life. Let’s explore some of the best options available in the UK to help you make an informed choice.
In This Article
- Why Smart Plugs Matter for Energy Bills
- Our Top Pick: TP-Link Tapo P110 (about £12-15)
- Best Smart Plugs 2026 UK
- Energy Monitoring Explained: What You Actually Learn
- Compatibility: Alexa, Google Home & Apple HomeKit
- What to Plug In: Best Uses for Smart Plugs
- Scheduling and Automation
- Safety Considerations
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Smart Plugs Matter for Energy Bills
Your electricity bill has doubled in three years. You know something in the house is using too much power, but you have no idea what. The tumble dryer? The old chest freezer in the garage? That gaming PC your teenager leaves on 24/7? Without measuring, you are guessing — and guessing does not lower bills.
A smart plug with energy monitoring costs about £12-15 and tells you exactly how much electricity each appliance uses — per hour, per day, per month, and in pounds and pence. Move it between appliances over a week and you will know precisely where your money goes. I did this last winter and discovered our old dehumidifier was costing £18 a month running 24/7. Replaced it with an efficient model and the plug paid for itself in the first week.
Beyond Energy Monitoring
Smart plugs also let you:
- Schedule appliances — turn the heated towel rail on 30 minutes before your shower, off after
- Remote control — turn off the iron from your phone when you cannot remember if you left it on
- Voice control — “Alexa, turn off the lamp” without getting up
- Automation — turn on porch light at sunset, off at 11pm, without a timer plug that drifts
Our Top Pick: TP-Link Tapo P110 (about £12-15)
The Tapo P110 does everything most people need from a smart plug, including energy monitoring, at a price that makes buying five or six of them reasonable.
- Energy monitoring: yes (real-time watts, daily/monthly kWh, cost tracking)
- Max load: 13A / 2,990W
- Voice assistants: Alexa and Google Home (no Apple HomeKit)
- App: Tapo app (iOS and Android)
- WiFi: 2.4GHz
- Size: compact (does not block adjacent sockets on most UK doubles)
- Where to buy: Amazon UK, Currys, Argos, Screwfix
Why it wins: energy monitoring at £12-15 is remarkable value — most competitors with energy tracking cost £25-40. The Tapo app is clean and intuitive, showing real-time power draw plus daily/weekly/monthly summaries. I have six of these around the house and the data has changed how I think about which appliances I leave on.
The catch: no Apple HomeKit support. If you are an Apple household, look at the Eve Energy instead.
Best Smart Plugs 2026 UK
Best for Apple HomeKit: Eve Energy (about £35-40)
The only smart plug with native HomeKit support that also monitors energy — no bridge required.
- Energy monitoring: yes (real-time and historical via Eve app)
- Max load: 13A / 2,500W
- Voice assistants: Apple HomeKit and Siri (no Alexa or Google)
- Connection: Bluetooth and Thread (not WiFi — uses your HomePod as a hub)
- Where to buy: Amazon UK, Apple Store, John Lewis
Best for: Apple-only households. Thread connectivity means it works reliably without clogging your WiFi with extra devices. The Eve app provides beautiful energy graphs. Expensive at £35-40 but the build quality and integration are premium.
Best Budget (No Energy Monitoring): TP-Link Tapo P100 (about £8-10)
If you just want scheduling and voice control without energy tracking, the P100 is the cheapest reliable option.
- Energy monitoring: no
- Max load: 13A / 2,990W
- Voice assistants: Alexa and Google Home
- Where to buy: everywhere (Amazon, Argos, Screwfix, Currys)
At £8-10 each, you can put these on every lamp and appliance without guilt. I use these on lamps, the Christmas tree, and the hallway fan — things where I want scheduling but do not need to know the wattage.
Best for Power Users: Shelly Plug S (about £18-22)
For smart home enthusiasts who want local control, MQTT support, and integration with Home Assistant.
- Energy monitoring: yes (detailed)
- Max load: 12A / 2,500W
- Voice assistants: Alexa, Google (via cloud or local)
- Key feature: runs locally without cloud dependency. Works if your internet goes down
- Where to buy: Amazon UK, Shelly direct, smart home specialists
Best for: people who run Home Assistant, Node-RED, or other local automation systems. The Shelly ecosystem is the most flexible for advanced smart home setups. Not needed for casual users — the Tapo is simpler.
Best Multi-Pack Value: Meross MSS310 4-Pack (about £40-50)
Energy monitoring on each plug, sold in a four-pack at about £10-12 per plug.
- Energy monitoring: yes
- Max load: 13A / 3,120W
- Voice assistants: Alexa, Google, SmartThings
- HomeKit: yes (via firmware update)
- Where to buy: Amazon UK, Meross direct
The HomeKit support (rare at this price) plus energy monitoring in a multi-pack makes this excellent value if you want to monitor multiple appliances. I have seen these recommended in UK smart home forums more than any other brand for bulk purchases.
Best Outdoor: TP-Link Tapo P100 Outdoor (about £15-18)
IP44 weather-rated for garden use — outdoor lights, pond pumps, festoon lighting.
- Weather rating: IP44 (rain-protected)
- Max load: 13A
- Where to buy: Amazon UK, Screwfix
Energy Monitoring Explained: What You Actually Learn
What the Numbers Mean
- Watts (W) — instantaneous power draw right now. Your kettle boils at about 3,000W. A lamp uses about 7-10W. A TV uses 50-150W
- Kilowatt hours (kWh) — energy used over time. 1 kWh = 1,000W running for 1 hour. This is what you are billed for (about 24-30p per kWh depending on your tariff)
- Monthly cost — the app calculates this from your kWh usage and electricity rate. Seeing “this appliance costs £12 per month” is more useful than raw kWh for most people
What I Found Monitoring My Home
After a month of moving the Tapo P110 between appliances:
- Chest freezer (old): 80W constant = £18/month. Replaced with a new A++ model at 40W = £9/month
- Gaming PC (standby): 15W even when “off” = £3.20/month. Now on a smart plug that cuts power at midnight
- Tumble dryer: 2,500W per cycle = about £1.80 per load. Started using the washing line more
- TV on standby: 0.5W = negligible. Not worth worrying about
- Heated towel rail: 100W constant = £21/month left on 24/7. Now scheduled for 2 hours daily = £3.50/month
The heated towel rail was the surprise. Left on permanently because “it is only a towel rail” — but 100W x 24 hours x 30 days adds up fast.
Compatibility: Alexa, Google Home & Apple HomeKit
The Quick Guide
- Amazon Alexa: TP-Link Tapo, Meross, Shelly — all work. The widest compatibility
- Google Home: TP-Link Tapo, Meross, Shelly — same brands work
- Apple HomeKit: Eve Energy (native), Meross (via firmware), some others via Homebridge (complex)
Which Ecosystem Are You In?
If you have Echo devices → buy Tapo P110 (cheap, reliable, energy monitoring). If you have Nest/Google speakers → same answer, Tapo P110 works with Google Home. If you have HomePods → Eve Energy is the clean native option, or Meross for budget HomeKit.
Matter Support (The Future)
The Matter standard is unifying smart home protocols. Future smart plugs with Matter support will work across all ecosystems without brand lock-in. The Tapo P110 does not support Matter yet (expected in future firmware). The Eve Energy already supports Matter via Thread.
What to Plug In: Best Uses for Smart Plugs
High Value Uses
- Heated towel rails — schedule instead of running 24/7 (saves £15-20/month typically)
- Electric heaters — schedule for occupied hours only. Never leave unattended without a plug that cuts power on schedule
- Old appliances you want to monitor — find out if that old fridge is costing more than a new one would
- Lamps — voice/schedule control without replacing the lamp itself with a smart bulb
- Christmas/festoon lights — automatic on at dusk, off at 11pm. No more forgotten outdoor lights running all night
- Phone/laptop chargers — cut power when not needed (saves pennies but prevents standby drain)
Do NOT Use Smart Plugs On
- Washing machines or dishwashers — cutting power mid-cycle can damage the machine and leave water trapped
- Space heaters without tip-over protection — fire risk if turned on remotely when something is too close
- Anything exceeding the plug’s rated wattage — most smart plugs handle 2,500-3,000W max. Check before plugging in high-draw appliances
Scheduling and Automation
Basic Schedules
All smart plugs support time-based schedules: turn on at X, turn off at Y. Set it once, runs forever. Examples:
- Heated towel rail: on at 6:00, off at 8:00. On at 18:00, off at 20:00
- Porch light: on at sunset, off at 23:00
- Hallway lamp: on at 7:00, off at 9:00 (simulates occupancy when away)
Automations (If/Then)
With Alexa Routines or Google Home automations, smart plugs can respond to triggers:
- “When I say ‘goodnight,’ turn off all plugs except the fridge”
- “When I leave home (phone GPS), turn off the iron plug”
- “When motion sensor detects no movement for 30 minutes, turn off the TV plug”
Energy Saving Automations
- Kill standby power on entertainment systems overnight (TV, soundbar, games console — together they draw 10-30W on standby)
- Schedule the immersion heater for off-peak electricity hours only (Economy 7 users)
- Auto-off on the EV charger when your cheap-rate tariff window ends
Safety Considerations
Electrical Load
Never exceed the rated wattage. Most UK smart plugs handle 13A / 2,990-3,120W. High-draw appliances that approach this limit:
- Kettles: 2,800-3,000W (at the limit — check the specific plug rating)
- Fan heaters: 2,000-3,000W (check rating)
- Ovens: exceed 3,000W (never use a smart plug on an oven)
UK Safety Standards
Look for plugs with:
- BS 1363 approval — the UK plug safety standard
- CE or UKCA marking — legal requirement for electronics sold in the UK
- Surge protection — some premium plugs include this (protects connected appliances from power spikes)
Fire Safety
Smart plugs that cut power are generally safer than leaving appliances plugged in permanently. However:
- Never use smart plugs to remotely control heaters in unoccupied rooms — fire risk if something falls onto/against the heater
- Install a smoke detector in any room with remotely controlled electrical appliances
- Use the timer as a safety net — set a maximum “on” duration even for manual control
Frequently Asked Questions
Do smart plugs save money on electricity? The plug itself uses about 1W (roughly 20p per month). The savings come from what you do with it: scheduling heated towel rails, cutting standby power, and identifying high-draw appliances to replace. Most households save £5-20 per month once they optimise based on the energy data. The plugs pay for themselves within weeks.
Do smart plugs work without WiFi? Most require WiFi for setup and remote control. If WiFi goes down, scheduled automations stored on the plug itself usually continue working. The Shelly Plug S is unique in supporting full local control without cloud/internet — useful for reliability-critical applications.
Can I use a smart plug with a kettle? Check the smart plug’s maximum load rating. Most UK smart plugs handle 2,990-3,120W. A typical kettle draws 2,800-3,000W — technically within limits but right at the edge. For safety, use a smart plug rated for the full 13A/3,120W and check that the plug does not feel hot during kettle operation.
What is the best smart plug for energy monitoring? The TP-Link Tapo P110 at £12-15 offers the best combination of price, reliability, and energy data quality. For Apple households, the Eve Energy (£35-40) is the only native HomeKit option with monitoring. For advanced users wanting local control, the Shelly Plug S (£18-22) offers the most detailed data without cloud dependency.
How many smart plugs can my WiFi handle? A typical home router handles 20-30 WiFi devices comfortably. Each smart plug uses one connection. If you already have many smart devices, phones, tablets, and computers, adding 10+ smart plugs might strain older routers. Mesh systems (TP-Link Deco, Google Nest WiFi) handle larger numbers without issue. Thread-based plugs (Eve Energy) avoid WiFi entirely.