The smartest of smart devices

There is a vast array of smart devices now, they promise the latest in convenience and can be controlled over Wi-Fi. While we have become accustomed to smart lighting, smart assistant products and smart TVs in the home we are starting to see a new generation of smart home products for those who crave more data and feedback on their daily routine.

Smart pet feeders, smart toothbrushes, smart vacuum cleaners and more, they all do the same as their ‘dumb’ counterparts but provide you with detailed analytics. Now you know how well you are cleaning, if you are doing it often enough and the list goes on.

But what about devices you use daily that aren’t smart? Things like a desk fan, a kettle or your bedside lamp.

There is a solution and it is easier than you might think. Life is smarter with Tapo smart plugs.

Today we are speaking with some of our customers about how they use Tapo Smart Plugs in their home. (Names have been changed for privacy reasons)

Automate simple tasks and save big on electricity bills.

The Wilson Family

James: I’ve always loved playing with cars and technology, and our kids are the same. They are fascinated by smart home products so we looked for ways we could make our home smarter. We didn’t really need to replace anything, it was more about complimenting our busy lifestyle.

Celeste: After some searching around online we chose a couple of products to begin. We opted for a Google Nest Mini and a 2 pack of Tapo Smart Plugs. The products were both discounted so it only cost around $75 at the time of purchase.  

After a brief and simple setup I thought about where to best use the plugs in our home, being that we’d only just started the smart home journey.

We installed a smart plug between the outlet and our gas heater. In winter the upstairs portion of our home gets very cold whereas downstairs we have a fire. A little while before bed we just ask google to ‘turn on the bedroom heater’, 15 minutes later the room is toasty, it’s bliss on a cool night.

James: With the second smart plug we added this between the kettle and the outlet. I have a bad habit of checking my phone before I get up in the morning and am often running out the door with a coffee. I use the Tapo phone app to turn the kettle on.

My only regret with these smart plugs was not buying the 4 pack. We’re having a lot of fun experimenting with our smart home and can’t wait to add some sensors and some smart lighting to make our home even smarter!

Ellis Demetriou

I’m a streamer and content creator and I run a business from home. I work some odd hours and often work later than I should. I am shocked by my electricity usage and bills.

The reason my energy company thought my bills were so high was down to the amount of electronics in my home on standby. I thought surely this can’t be right, but it turns out it’s quite common.

I have 3 main areas in the home that I thought were the main culprits and purchased 4 Tapo Smart Plugs. Here are the results.

Studio

In the studio is a lot of lighting, photographic equipment, and chargers for devices. I added a smart plug between the wall and an 8 port power board. This was an easy decision as I don’t need any power in this room unless I am working in there. This smart plug also has an energy monitoring feature so I can see how much power is being saved by checking the app.

Media / Streaming Room

This is where the fun happens, I have some RGB lighting and my streaming equipment attached to a power hungry PC. I use this smart plug as a central system to control all the lighting in the room. The other smart plug in this room functions on a schedule, so everything is shut off automatically between midnight and 8 am.  

Lounge

The smart plug in the lounge controls everything in the entertainment unit. Consoles, TV, Blu Ray player and AV equipment. I normally shut this one off manually as I retire of an evening but if I forget or happen to fall asleep with everything on I have set a rule in the app to auto shut off at 1 am.

By doing this I am saving around 25% on my energy bill per quarter.

Save time, save energy and save money.

Kane and Vanessa

We bought a couple of smart plugs, one for convenience and the other for safety. The first one we use for the nightlight in our daughter’s room, she doesn’t like falling asleep in total darkness. When she does fall asleep we can turn off the light quietly from anywhere in the house rather than going back into her room and risk waking her.

The second plug is permanently attached to the hair straightener in the bathroom, we all use it and we have all been guilty of leaving it on in the past. With the smart plug this is no longer an issue, probably the best $19 I’ve ever spent!

Peace of mind is a piece of cake with Tapo
 

The Tapo range consists of smart plugs, smart lighting and smart cameras, check out the range at your favourite tech retailer or check out Tapo products online at www.tapo.com/au