The best smart plugs of 2026, with and without energy monitoring

Not a heater: many space heater manuals forbid switching them on with timers or remote controls, because a covered or knocked-over heater could start a fire. For other appliances, stay within the rating printed on the plug (a standard 15 A household circuit delivers at most 1,800 W anyway) and avoid loads that run near that limit for hours. An electric water heater can't go on a plug at all, as it's hardwired: use a smart controller made for water heaters, installed by a licensed electrician. Never plug an extension cord or power bar into a smart plug.

Because many machines with electronic buttons stay in standby when power returns: the plug supplies electricity but can't press the start button. Only appliances with a mechanical switch left in the on position, such as a basic lamp, fan or drip coffee maker, start by themselves. Check the plug's power-on behaviour in the app too, since some let you choose on, off or last state after a power outage. If the plug keeps going offline instead, move the router or add a mesh point nearby, as most smart plugs only use 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

Choose Tapo if you want energy monitoring and a wide range of plugs, including Matter versions; Govee mainly makes sense if you already use its lights and want everything in one app. Both connect over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi without a hub, work with Alexa and Google Assistant, and need no subscription for basic switching and schedules. Check the exact model rather than the brand: whether it measures energy, its maximum load, whether it supports Matter for Apple Home, and whether its body blocks the second outlet. Whichever you choose, keep its firmware updated.

Very little: a typical smart plug draws around 1 W or less on standby, which is under 9 kWh a year, or about 90¢ at an example rate of 10¢ per kWh. The saving comes from what it switches off: cutting a TV, game console and soundbar drawing 15 W on standby for 16 hours a day saves 15 × 16 × 365 = 88 kWh, about $9 a year at the same rate. Your rate depends on your province and utility, so check your bill. Avoid switching off fridges, freezers or anything that needs to stay on to work properly.

Reputable ones are reasonably safe, as long as you keep them updated. Choose a brand that says how long it will provide security updates and offers a way to report vulnerabilities, and avoid devices that ship with a shared default password. Keep firmware updated, use a strong Wi-Fi password and consider a guest network for smart devices. A hacked plug can only switch its outlet, but it can be a foothold on your network.