Guide to Smart Plugs

What is a smart plug and how does a smart plug work? Smart plugs are smart power plugs and sockets. Smart plugs are relatively inexpensive but make electrical equipment in offices, garages, and workshops much more intelligent by enabling control for reduced energy consumption and remote switching. 

This guide explains what smart plugs are, where they are used, the types of smart plug on the market, and their many benefits.

So, what is a smart plug? A smart plug is a power plug and socket fitted between the power cord of a piece of electrical equipment and the power socket on the wall. The plug acts as a remotely-controlled power switch for devices drawing from that socket. Smart plugs make electrical equipment more intelligent by enabling control. They provide a simple way of automating and controlling the power supply of all sorts of electrical devices and appliances.

The smart plug market is set for massive growth by the end of the decade, buoyed by applications not only domestically but also for business.

You’ll probably be wondering, ‘How do smart plugs work?’ Smart plugs are internet-enabled devices that communicate wirelessly over a router or hub with your smartphone or tablet. An app on your smartphone can be used to turn the plug on or off remotely, or even use a smart plug timer to schedule times for the electrical appliance or tool to come on.

Installing a smart plug requires plugging it into a power socket. Once it is turned on, you will need to download the relevant app to your digital device and create your account and password. You’ll also be thinking about how to connect smart plugs to Wi-Fi. Smart plugs allow you to pair the plug with your smartphone or tablet by entering pairing mode. The plug should locate your Wi-Fi network. Follow the instructions onscreen to connect the plug to the network. 

It’s now time to start connecting the appliances you want to control. Some smart plugs have multiple sockets or multiple USB ports to allow you to control several devices with one plug. Again, this takes place in the app.

Sometimes your smart plug will need to be reset. If you want to know how to reset smart plug functionality, it usually involves holding down the power switch or unplugging the device and plugging it back in again. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions if you need to reset your smart plug as methods vary.

Even though smart plug technology is in its early days, there is already a wide range of types of smart plug on the market. They use different wireless technologies to communicate. Let’s take a look at some of the most common smart plug types.

A Wi-Fi smart plug, as the name suggests, works over your business, workshop, or garage’s existing Wi-Fi network. Once connected, the Wi-Fi smart plug can be controlled using a smartphone, tablet, or other digital device.

Zigbee is a wireless protocol. Zigbee PANs (personal area networks) are used to allow smart lights, locks, motion sensors, and indeed Zigbee smart plugs to communicate with the user. One of the advantages of Zigbee is that it enables thousands of devices to be connected at once compared to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Zigbee is also specifically designed to control low-power devices.

Wi-Fi unavailable? No problem. Some common smart plug types use a Bluetooth connection to communicate instead of Wi-Fi. This has the advantage of the ease of use and pairing typical of Bluetooth devices.

Once smart plugs are connected over either Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or Bluetooth devices you can plug devices in and use the smart plug to turn appliances and tools on and off. The best smart plug can be controlled directly or remotely via an app or programmed to come on and off automatically.

Some smart plugs can also be controlled by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so that lighting and other appliances are activated by voice command. This enables a previously unheard of level of control of your workshop or garage’s electrical equipment. Devices can also be scheduled to switch on or off at dusk, daybreak, or particular times during the day.

Smart plugs are relatively cheap ways of making your workshop much more efficient and secure. For example, benefits of smart plugs include:

• Monitoring electricity consumption. Many of the smart plugs currently on the market contain technology that measures electricity usage. This allows you to monitor how much power your appliance is using when it is turned on, which may help inform your energy reduction strategy, reduce bills, and cut your carbon emissions.
• Helping secure your facility. Keeping lights on all day when you’re away isn’t practical, but using the timer facility on a smart plug can allow you to turn lights on remotely at night to deter intruders.
• Improving energy efficiency. Scheduling devices to turn on and off only when they are needed can also help improve your energy efficiency and cut down on energy bills.
• Providing peace of mind. If you’ve ever worried about whether you’ve left equipment turned on that shouldn’t be, you’re not alone. Smart plugs can provide reassurance by enabling you to control all your devices remotely in the event that you forget to switch something off.

The smart plug market will be worth almost $10 billion by 2029, up from just over $1.8 billion in 2022. Many consumers are already experiencing the benefits of controlling lighting and domestic appliances using smart plugs. These benefits are expected to be more widely embraced by business and industry in the coming years as part of the increasing prevalence of the Internet of Things and Industrial Internet of Things.

For those engineers looking for greater control over their electrical devices along with their energy consumption, smart plugs are a technology of today that will find more and more uses in the increasingly decarbonised world of tomorrow.

Looking for power equipment and accessories? As well as smart plugs, RS offers a leading range of connectors and power connectors.