6 Cool Things You Didn’t Know Smart Plugs Could Do

Smart plugs are a simple, cost-effective way to turn your house into a smart home. You can use them to turn your “dumb” gadget into a smart device you can control from anywhere, allowing you to stick with the tools and appliances you want to keep while getting the advantages of smart technology. The best smart plugs can even help you reduce your energy consumption, which is great for both the environment and your monthly utility bills.

Common uses for smart plugs include automating lights, decorations, or fans, but they are even more versatile than you may realize. You can get really creative with these little devices — just make sure whatever device you’re plugging in is safe to use. Whether you have more smart plugs lying around than you know what to do with or you’re thinking about upgrading your home, here are some clever uses that can make your life easier.

This definitely isn’t the most exciting smart plug feature, but saving money on your monthly utility bills and helping the environment are both pretty cool, right? Many smart plugs can monitor your power consumption, allowing you to look at how much you are using in real time. You’ll find that many devices use more power than we realize, which means identifying the ones that are consuming more than their share is the first step in making your home a more energy-efficient one.

From there, you can consider ways to cut down on your energy usage. That may mean adjusting your routine or looking into other money-saving smart home upgrades such as new thermostats or light bulbs. Even simple changes like making sure all the lights and other non-essential devices are off overnight or when you’re away from home can help you cut down your utility costs.

Theoretically, you could use a smart plug to wake up to the smell of bacon like Michael Scott, but you really shouldn’t try for food safety reasons (or risk of burning your foot). However, smart plugs can save you time in the morning and even allow you to wake up to a nice aroma. Schedule your coffee maker or kettle to turn on right before your alarm goes off so you can enjoy your hot beverage of choice as soon as possible. It also comes with the added advantage of being able to turn off appliances from afar, meaning you’ll never need to go back home to make sure you didn’t leave a hair curler or a straightener on. 

Smart plugs can also help with your nighttime routine. For example, you could use them to switch off all non-essential devices at once, saving energy and money. You can also schedule your TV to turn off after you fall asleep, which is easier than going through your device’s settings.

Older garages are vulnerable to home invaders in ways newer ones are not. While modern garage doors and garage door openers come with safety features like smart home integration, additional sensors, and smartphone app controls, many of us live in older homes that don’t have those. Fortunately, the simplicity of those old doors is actually a benefit in this case.

If you have a garage door that operates on a motor plugged into an outlet, you can use a smart plug to turn it off completely when you don’t need to use it. That means no one will be able to access your garage from outside your house without you knowing about it. There are certainly more comprehensive home security systems, but if you’re looking for a quick and cheap improvement, this little trick can give you extra peace of mind at night or when you’re not home

If your house gets too humid or too dry, you can use a smart plug to automate a humidifier or dehumidifier. If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to set up a smart sensor to monitor the humidity (smart sensors also have lots of other functionalities you can use around the house). As Reddit user Opposing_Thumbs shared, they set up their dehumidifier to turn on when the humidity in their basement reaches 56% and go off once it’s down to 50%.

Before the smart plug, their device worked on a timer, meaning it would cycle on and off every 10 minutes. Now, it only goes on when it’s needed, and shuts itself off when it’s not, keeping the space less humid overall and saving them about $11 a month in energy costs. That makes smart plugs a useful and efficient option for anyone whose home gets muggy in the summer or arid in the winter.

The best place for your Wi-Fi router isn’t always the most convenient part of the house to reach in a pinch. This can worsen the already frustrating experience of having to restart your device to get the internet working again. Smart plugs offer a simple alternative to walking over to your router, unplugging it, and plugging it back in.

If you connect your router to a smart plug, you’ll have the option to turn the machine off and back on from the convenience of your phone. No more standing next to your router for 30 seconds while you wait to plug the cord back into the wall. Keep in mind that this will only work if your smart home is set up to operate without an internet connection, as you’ll run into some pretty obvious issues if you try to use a Wi-Fi-reliant system to fix your broken Wi-Fi.

If you’re the kind of pet owner who loves gadgets, connecting them to your smart home via smart plugs gives you full control, even when your pets are home alone. For example, if you have a fountain set up so your cat has fresh water, a smart plug will let you turn it on only when it’s needed. You could even set it up with a motion sensor, so it only turns on when your cat approaches. 

Even if you don’t use things like automatic feeders or litter boxes, having the basics like light bulbs and TVs connected to smart plugs means you can control them when your pet is home alone. Out later than you expected and don’t want to leave your dog in the dark? You can make sure the lights are on for them from wherever you are. Just test them out when you’re at home first to see how your pet reacts and help them get used to it if necessary. Also, get your camera out in case they have a particularly funny reaction.