Save money on your energy bills with the best smart plugs

Add voice control to any plug socket with the Amazon Smart Plug. Schedule lights and appliances to turn on and off automatically or control them remotely when you're away via the Alexa app. It's compatible with Alexa-enabled devices, such as an Echo, Fire TV, Fire Tablet and Sonos One. Create routines, such as switching on the kitchen lights in the morning and turning on the kettle with one command. Also, with the Alexa app you can control multiple plugs so your entire home is smart.

Reviewed by Homes & Garden product writer Natalie Knowles: "This is my top recommendation for easy setup. You need the Alexa app downloaded on your phone in order to setup the smart plug and control it. In addition, I have an Echo Pop smart speaker so I can ask the voice assistant (Alexa) to turn the smart plug on and off. Both the app and speaker are intuitively designed and a pleasure to use.

"For set-up only, you need your Bluetooth and location turned on. You are guided through the entire process and it only takes a couple of minutes. You'll be prompted to scan a QR code that comes with the plug, this is how Alexa recognises it and connects.

"As well as being able to turn a plug on and off via the Alexa app, you will be able to control it by voice command. Initially this defaults to 'Alexa, turn on First Plug', but it can be renamed. Then, you can attribute a plug to a room in your house. Setting up a smart home is quite addictive... I want smart light bulbs next!

"The reason I wanted a smart plug was to operate my Blueair air purifier while I'm stuck at my desk. The pollen has triggered my allergies this year, and I'm using an air purifier to filter the air. While working from home, I can ask Alexa to turn on my air purifier. It's so much more convenient to use my voice assistant to turn on my Blueair. I also can set a schedule to turn the Blueair off at night if I fall asleep."

"One thing I'd say is it's a chunky plug and I wouldn't dare use this in conjunction with a standard adaptor plug in order to contact more than one electrical device to a single socket. Keep it simple and devote one plug socket to this smart plug. Also, allow enough clearance if it's behind furniture, I had to move my TV stand forward a couple of centimetres to accommodate it."

TP-Link produces a wide range of smart plugs, but this Tapo P110M Matter Mini Smart Plug has some standout features. With the energy monitoring function in the accompanying app, you can get an insight into how much electricity a particular appliance is using. The data is represented in easy to understand graphs and infographics. Also, the smart plug can be controlled by voice commands via Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, or Google Assistant. Think of the app as a remote control for your plug sockets, whereby you can instantly turn a connected device on/off. Also, you can set a schedule to automatically manage devices, which is a great way of controlling Christmas lights, for example.

Reviewed by Homes & Garden product writer Natalie Knowles: "What I really like about the Tapo smart plug is that I can monitor energy usage. It's great for keeping an eye on how much electricity the games console is using… and turn it off via my phone when someone's had too much screen time! The plug itself is a bit smaller than the Amazon Smart Plug, but still needs a single plug socket devoted to it.

"One of the selling points of the Tapo smart plug is its compatibility with Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings. As well as downloading the TP-Link app (which has the bonus of being able to track energy consumption) I also connected in to my Alexa app and smart speaker. Tapo is one of a long list of brands that you can choose to connect to in the Alexa app.

"Your plug needs to be set up in Tapo's TP-Link app before it can connect to Alexa. There are a few steps in order to set up the plug, but on the whole, it took about three minutes. Download the TP-link app and set up an account with an email address and password. Select 'Add device' and choose the plug from a list of model numbers. Enable Bluetooth and location so your phone can discover the plug – this is for set-up only – you don't need them switched on all the time. Then put in your Wi-Fi credentials. I named it 'Second Plug' then chose the room that I wanted it to be attributed to. I was prompted to do a Firmware update, but it updated itself very quickly. Next, you're prompted to connect your Tapo account to Alexa. Alexa searches for the Tapo plug and connects. I got an email to confirm Alexa was now linked to Tapo. It was so easy and it means I can turn the plug on/off from another room.... the unsuspecting gamer in the family has a reckoning coming to him!🎮

"I my opinion, the Tapo smart plug is a great option if you are interested in monitoring your energy usage."

If you're serious about smart lighting, the Philips Hue smart plug is the perfect companion to their extensive range of smart bulbs. Create a relaxing ambience with colour-changing and dimmable lighting that can be controlled by voice command or via the Philips Hue app. Moreover, the Hue Bridge network is powered by Zigbee and works via Bluetooth, meaning any Philips smart device will continue to work even if the Wi-Fi is down. In addition, the Hue Bridge has advanced control and automation features.

This smart plug is geared to be an accessory for a Philips smart lighting scheme. Interestingly, customers have used this smart plug to control devices other than lighting. They say the quality of the Philips Smart Plug is significantly better than others. What swayed them to buy this plug was the fact that it works using Zigbee. Therefore, the signal and connection are more stable than their Wi-Fi. Customers say that while Hue products are expensive, they are worth it for their quality and the easy user experience. The plug is just the beginning…!

Hive is a top brand when it comes to smart and greener home technology. This Hive Plug allows you to monitor the energy usage of appliances. In addition, it acts as a signal booster for your other Hive devices. You need a Hive Hub first, in order to connect devices and control them via the Hive app. The hub simply plugs into your router. The app allows you to remotely turn off an appliance, monitor energy usage, and set a schedule and actions whereby you automate your appliances. An action can be your coffee machine activating when your morning alarm goes off, for example.

Consider this plug as one small part of your Hive home. Hive offers extensive smart home technology, including products that control central heating, motion sensors for security and smart lighting. Their Trustpilot reviews indicate that the customer service is responsive and helpful.

In addition, Alexa can learn a skill, whereby you connect your Hive device to everybody's favourite voice assistant and control it by command.

Hive is a top option if you are committed to creating a fully smart home and want installation engineers and support. This, of course, is an investment so it's worth doing thorough research before buying the Hive Hub and smart plug.

The Meross Matter Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring features Matter Simple Setup (MSS), which allows the plug to pair seamlessly with an Amazon Echo device. It's also compatible with all the major brands in smart technology: Apple, Google, Alexa, Samsung, and over 500 other companies. In addition, the Meross app allows you to monitor the energy usage of an appliance and remotely switch it on or off.

Customers praise the Meross Matter Smart Plug for being reasonably easy to set up via the accompanying app. The app is also great for setting schedules and routines. Users have bought several plugs to control the lamps around their homes. However, some customers felt there were too many steps in order to connect the smart plug to Alexa, and some had issues getting it to connect to the Wi-Fi.

If a plug socket is behind a piece of furniture, reaching it can be a nightmare. In addition, smart plugs tend to be quite chunky. No one wants to move their bookcase 10cm forward to accommodate a smart plug. As such, this Nooie Smart Plug is an excellent option for a small or hard-to-reach space. It's compatible with Alexa, plus schedules and timers can be set up on the Nooie app. It may help utilise a plug socket that's long been redundant due to its position.

Customers say this plug is smaller than the Tapo smart plug and is great value for money if you're buying several. Positive reviews say these were good value for money. The majority of customers say they were straightforward in setting up and linking to Alexa. Several customer reviews comment that they needed to separate their Wi-Fi bands to create a separate 2.4GHz frequency for the plugs to connect to. Also, some had issues with them not working at all.

The Refoss Smart Plug was designed to address the common issues associated with smart plugs.
It is slightly smaller, so it doesn't block other nearby plugs. It contains technology that makes its response time faster. Plus, it claims that it can still work even when the internet is down. Like other smart plugs it can be remotely controlled from anywhere via its app. Also, it can be operated by voice command, using a Alexa, Google and Siri device.

Customers praise this smart plug for allowing them to monitor and control their energy usage. Also, their ability to pick up a signal and stay connected is noted as being better than that of other plugs. In particular, a review comments that they loved the ability to set a routine to turn the plugs on at dusk, as this meant they didn't need to keep changing the time as the seasons changed.

However, some customers have had issues with the initial setup and inconsistencies with the plug losing connection and not working.

The Sengled Smart Plug requires an Alexa-enabled device to work. The plug contains Matter technology){href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matter_(standard)' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener nofollow'}, which means it has improved compatibility and connectivity. Using the Alexa app you can create routines, schedules and group smart plugs in order to automate appliances or your lighting. Note, this smart plug is not compatible with the Sengled Home app.

Customers have found this smart plug ideal for controlling lights. Many reviews say that it works well with their Echo speakers. A particular review comments that while it was easy to set up and use with Alexa, their smart plug can be a bit patchy in response time. Some other reviews say their appliances randomly turn off when using this smart plug.

Make vampire devices a thing of the past with a 4lite Smart WiZ Connected Smart Plug. Tech advisor, Rachel Morris, from smart light firm 4Lite, explains: "Having to switch everything on and off manually at the wall each time you use it is just not viable, particularly if you have to rifle behind furniture and in hard-to-reach places... With a simple flick on your smartphone, smart plugs will turn your sockets on or off immediately, slaying vampire devices once and for all. You can even set schedules to control your devices..." 4Lite smart plugs link to Alexa and Google Home so you can operate them by voice command or via the WiZ app.

Reviewed by Homes & Garden product writer Natalie Knowles: "I think where WiZ excels is smart lighting. The app is very much geared towards creating lighting schemes for your home. When it came to installing the smart plug, I had problems. But there is a clear explanation for this. A smart plug operates on a 2.4GHz frequency. Modern routers emit synchronised 5GHz and 2.4GHz frequencies. Some smart plugs have the technology to distinguish between the bands and pick out the 2.4GHz frequency. However, other smart plugs need manual intervention, whereby you have to log into your router's IP address, via a web browser, and separate the frequencies. Then, you reconnect all your major Wi-Fi devices to the 5Hz band and your smart plug to the 2.4GHz band. This is a known issue to tech experts, I even went and asked the technology department at my local John Lewis. The key is that you have to feel capable enough to separate the Wi-Fi frequency and really invested in the brand's products. I do think there is a niche for 4lite's smart lighting, but I'm afraid I didn't have the confidence to separate my Wi-Fi frequencies.

"In terms of the WiZ app interface, there are clear on-screen steps and help guides. Also, there's the option to sign up with your Google or Facebook credentials, which will restore your WiZ account, should you need to reinstall the app. Then, you can create your profile, choose your Avatar and give yourself a username. Next, you can 'Create a new home' or 'Join an existing home. When creating a new home, you can give your home a name and add rooms. At this point, the app focuses on adding lights, covering 4Lite smart lighting products and there are a lot of options. Use the + icon in the top right corner to add your new smart plug and have your Bluetooth switched on. Also, share your location with the app. A 300 second timer appears and counts down while the app pairs with the smart plug. At this point I referred to the help articles within the app where it concluded that it needed a separate 2.4GHz Wi-Fi frequency to work.

"It is possible to created a new Wi-Fi network under 2.4Ghz to support this smart plug. I happen to be with Sky and this is their guidance on how to separate Wi-Fi bands."

With all our tech, a handy plug that charges multiple devices will make charging up so much more convenient – especially if you own both Mac and Android devices. The Anker Prime USB C Charger Plug is a neat device that's 45 per cent smaller than standard 96W chargers. It can rapidly charge multiple devices through two USB-C and one USB-A port. Each USB-C port delivers 100W and can efficiently charge a 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro) from 0 to 50 per cent in just 30 minutes.

Reviewed by Homes & Garden product writer Natalie Knowles: "On first impressions, the Anker charger plug is very well presented in its packaging. The plug itself is compact, with foldable prongs that make it easy to carry in a pocket for charging on-the-go. Also, it feels robust, like it wouldn't break if I accidently dropped it. I like that it has a safety feature whereby it monitors the temperature and adjusts the power output, so it doesn't overheat.

"I tried charging an assortment of Mac and Android tech and it charged them up faster than my usual cables. I think this is an essential for anybody who has multiple devices, especially if you're using them when travelling.

"In terms of using this charger plug in conjunction with a smart plug, there is very little information online. I did a live chat with Anker to find out. In theory, I want to set a schedule to charge my devices at night using the off-peak rate. The response as: "we did not test if our charger can work with a smart plug." Therefore, I wouldn't try it."