These 6 smart plugs are the best for tracking energy usage
Now more than ever it's important to use energy wisely, so we've compiled a list of the best energy monitoring smart plugs available right now. Smart plugs are the best and most convenient smart home accessories for controlling devices around your home. Most typically work with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and can turn almost any lamp or small appliance into a smart device you can control with your phone or just your voice. We've highlighted the smart plugs that go the extra mile and offer energy monitoring features that let you track how much energy your favorite devices and appliances draw, so you can make the best purchase decision for your household.
It's all in the nameTopGreener Heavy-Duty Smart Wi-Fi Plug
Staff Pick
This plug from TopGreener excels at what it does. It's a little chunkier than others on this list, meaning it will cover both outlets when plugged into a wall. However, it requires no hub for setup - just a 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi connection and the TopGreener app, where you can monitor real-time and historical power consumption data from your connected electronics and set times and schedules to avoid wasting energy.
Compact and affordableLenovo Wi-Fi Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitor
The Lenovo Wi-Fi Smart Plug with Energy Monitor is a compact smart plug that lets you control lights or appliances using an accompanying Lenovo Link Pro app and control things with Google Assistant or Alexa without needing a hub. From the app, you can monitor the energy usage from the plugged-in appliance in real-time. It has all the safety features you need to keep your family and home safe and is backed by a one-year warranty.
Works with Samsung SmartThingsSamsung SmartThings Outlet
Samsung's SmartThings system is a popular choice for building out your dream smart home with different sensors for monitoring all aspects around your home. If you're bought into this ecosystem already, you'll definitely want to invest in more smart plugs, which you can then monitor your plugged-in devices via the SmartThings app. You can connect over 200 SmartThings devices to a single hub, so, in theory, every plug-in device in your home can be monitored if you so choose.
$18 at Amazon$18 at Best Buy $18 at Walmart
Mid-range optionEufy Smart Plug Mini
Eufy smart home products are super popular because they're affordable and designed to be simple to use. This smart plug does offer energy monitoring, but you won't get a live look at power consumption. Instead, you'll get reports on daily usage and seven-day trends, which should be good enough for most people. It's designed to keep the second outlet available and uses the EufyHome app, which you may already use if you own other Eufy products.
Four outlets from oneKMC 4-Outlet Smart Plug w/Energy Monitoring
This smart plug offers four outlets, with a single "always on" outlet and three that can be individually controlled using the smartphone app or with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. It uses the KMC Smart app for setup and energy monitoring, and, best of all, it's the most affordable option on our list.
Touch and goEve Energy
This smart plug from Eve not only works with your favorite smart assistant or through its app, but you can even tap it to turn it on or off. You can purchase these in single or double packs.
$40 at Apple$40 at Amazon $50 at Best Buy
These are your smartest buys for smart plugsAre you dealing with rising energy costs for your home? Energy monitoring is a great way to test out what devices and appliances in your home are drawing more power while plugged in. By having a better idea of which things around your house are drawing more power, you can make sensible decisions that could end up saving you a ton of money on your power bill.
Our top recommendation is the TopGreener Heavy-Duty Smart Wi-Fi Plug, which is a reliable smart plug with built-in energy monitoring that you can review from the app and track your plug-in devices' power consumption. It's also available in other finishes and bundles to suit various styles and use cases.
For a multi-plug option, we've got the KMC 4-Outlet Smart Plug, which offers the best value under $20 and the ConnectSense Smart Outlet 2, which certainly looks the best out of all the options and includes an extra USB port on the side.
If you decide you want something simpler or just want to check out other options, there are plenty of other great smart plugs available.