Having electricity in our homes is now something that we (in the developed world at least) take for granted. Yet in more than a century nothing has fundamentally changed about the electrical systems of our homes from a user’s point of view. Yes, the quality of the electricity is much improved and safer than ever, but as a home dweller you still plug stuff in and then physically close an electrical contact with a switch. That is still pretty much the same.
The humble wall plug provides us with a lot of opportunity for smart technology integration. There are many cases in which you would want to control the plugs in your walls remotely or automatically. There are also things you would like to know, such as how many watts your appliances are sucking up and whether you are really being a green energy user.
Smart plugs, as they are called, are a relatively affordable way to turn your electrical outlets from dumb holes that spew out raw electricity into something more appropriate for a modern civilization.
Here I have reviewed some of the most promising smart plug solutions you can buy today and tried to decide if they are worth buying yet. As usual I put my favorites at the top, but this is not a ranked list.