Seven smart-plug tricks to make your home safer, greener and more convenient

Smart plugs let you control ordinary devices from an app, voice assistant or a schedule, turning dumb devices into smarter, safer and more energy-efficient ones. 1. Deter would-be intruders — Schedule indoor or outdoor lights to come on when you’re away to create the appearance someone is home.

You can also cut power to a garage-door opener at night to prevent thieves from using a stolen remote or code, and pair plugs with motion sensors to trigger lights when movement is detected. 2. Create motion-activated lighting — Use an occupancy-capable device such as an Echo Dot plus a smart plug and Alexa to turn lights on when someone enters a room.

The author’s Echo Dot even says “Hello, gorgeous” when it activates the lights; you can also set timers so lights switch off after a set period. 3. Enhance climate control — Plug fans or space heaters into smart plugs to run them by voice, schedule or temperature sensors. Running a fan via a smart plug can let you set the thermostat a bit warmer and save energy, while a heater can be switched off automatically when a target temperature is reached.

4. Plug in hot tools for safety — Use smart plugs for curling irons, flat irons, soldering tools and hot glue guns so you can check and cut power remotely if someone forgets to turn them off. 5. Limit screen time — Put a TV or gaming console on a smart plug to enforce schedules, turn devices off remotely or even hide the plug behind the set so children can’t manually switch it back on.

Key Topics

Tech, Smart Plug, Alexa, Echo Dot, Zigbee, Z-wave