Simplifying the holidays with smart plugs

You have a lot going on during the holidays, from searching for the best prices on all those presents to preparing your home for guests. Using a smart plug to automate your holiday lights and electric decorations is one way you can simplify life during this busy time of year.

What’s a smart plug?
A smart plug allows you to automate devices around your home as well as manage them from your phone.

How’s it work?
Simply plug your smart plug into an outlet and use a compatible app to connect it to your Wi-Fi network. You can then plug electric devices such as LED lights and digital projectors into your smart plug and manage these devices from anywhere.

So, what are all the benefits?

It’s easy to create schedules
Using the app on your phone makes it easy to schedule devices to turn off and on at specific times. This means that once you’ve set your schedule, you don’t have to think about it until it’s time to take those decorations down. Some smart plugs even have sunrise and sunset settings that automatically power on or off based on your local sunrise and sunset times.

Syncing multiple smart plugs is simple
You can sync and manage multiple smart plugs around your home using one app on your phone versus traditional timers, which must be set up individually and managed at each device. Syncing traditional timers is also challenging, and many users notice the timers drift further apart from one another over time. Smart plugs use the same clock, maintaining a consistent schedule across all devices.

Smart plugs optimize energy usage
Having your holiday lights and decorations set to operate during specific times ensures they’re not using energy when no one is there to enjoy them or during daylight hours. Using sunrise and sunset settings allows them to adjust along with the shift in daylight, optimizing energy usage even more. Some smart plug apps also track your energy usage.

They’re easy to use
Smart plugs’ compatible apps offer easy-to-use interfaces. Some models can even work with your existing Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Siri assistant, allowing you to manage even more from one app. You can also set up voice commands, such as “turn on the outdoor holiday lights,” making the experience even easier.

Smart plugs can be used all year
Once the holidays are over, and you’re ready to pack up those lights, you can find new uses for your smart plugs, whether it’s operating that slow cooker in the kitchen or patio lights in the summer.