Smart plugs are the easiest way to make any "dumb" device smart. Plug one in, connect it to Home Assistant, and suddenly that floor lamp, coffee maker, or space heater becomes part of your automations. Here are the best options for local control, energy monitoring, and zero cloud dependency.
We tested dozens. These are the ones worth buying in 2026.
The best value Zigbee plug on the market. Energy monitoring at this price is unbeatable. Buy these in bulk.
Best Wi-Fi plug. Works locally out of the box, no firmware hacking needed.
Cheapest way to add Zigbee routers. Walk into IKEA and walk out with smart plugs. No metering though.
Premium option with great accuracy on energy readings. Solid if you already use Aqara sensors.
For tinkerers. Flash cheap Tuya plugs with Tasmota using cloudcutter. Full local control for pennies.
Best Z-Wave option if you already run a Z-Wave network. Expensive but rock solid reliable.
Future-proof pick. Matter means it works with Home Assistant, Apple Home, Google, and Amazon. All at once.
This decision matters more than which brand you pick. Get the protocol right first.
Our recommendation: Start with Zigbee if you have a coordinator (SkyConnect or SONOFF Dongle). Start with Shelly if you don't have one yet and only need 1-3 plugs. Every Zigbee plug you add makes your entire mesh stronger.
Smart plugs with power metering are the easiest way to find out which devices are eating your electricity bill.
Home Assistant has a built-in Energy Dashboard that automatically tracks consumption from your smart plugs. Here's how to set it up:
sensor.plug_name_energy)Want whole-home monitoring too? Check our complete energy monitoring guide for CT clamp and smart meter options.
Turn a €10 cloud-dependent Tuya plug into a fully local Home Assistant device. No soldering required.
Pro tip: Buy pre-flashed plugs from Athom or Nous to skip the flashing entirely. They cost about the same and ship ready for Home Assistant.
Once the plug is connected, the real fun starts. Here are practical automations that actually save money and time.
Turn off the TV, game console, and AV receiver when everyone goes to bed. Those standby watts add up to €30-50/year for a typical entertainment setup.
automation:
trigger:
- platform: time
at: "23:30:00"
condition:
- condition: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.living_room_occupied
state: "off"
action:
- service: switch.turn_off
target:
entity_id:
- switch.tv_plug
- switch.game_console_plug
- switch.av_receiver_plugUse power monitoring to detect when the wash cycle finishes. When watts drop below 5W for 3 minutes, the cycle is done.
automation:
trigger:
- platform: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_power
below: 5
for: "00:03:00"
condition:
- condition: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_power
above: 0
action:
- service: notify.mobile_app
data:
title: "Laundry done! 🧺"
message: "Washing machine finished. Time to move it to the dryer."Turn on the coffee maker 10 minutes before your alarm goes off on workdays. Turn it off automatically after 30 minutes to save energy and avoid burning the carafe.
Turn holiday lights on at sunset, off at 23:00. No more forgotten lights running all night. Works for any seasonal decoration plugged into a smart plug.
Get alerted if any plug exceeds its safe power limit. Useful for space heaters, old appliances, or extension cords. A plug drawing more than expected could mean a faulty device.
Matter is the new universal smart home standard. Here is where it stands for plugs in 2026.
Bottom line: If you are starting fresh in 2026, Matter is worth considering. But Zigbee still wins on price, variety, and energy monitoring support. The SONOFF S26R2 at €12 with metering is hard to beat. Matter plugs with equivalent features cost 3x more.
Most smart plugs handle 2300-2500W. Space heaters, ovens, and high-power appliances can exceed this. Always check the wattage rating before plugging in anything with a heating element.
Every mains-powered Zigbee device acts as a mesh router. Strategically placing smart plugs around your house extends Zigbee range to every corner. Even if you don't need the plug functionality, it strengthens your network.
Name your plugs after what is plugged into them, not the plug model. "Washing Machine" is much more useful than "SONOFF Plug 3" when you are writing automations or checking the energy dashboard.
Smart plugs are great for lamps, appliances, and entertainment gear. But for built-in lights, smart switches or smart bulbs make more sense. And never use a plug to control something that needs to stay on, like a fridge or a NAS server.
Run our free smart home scan to find out which devices you already have that work with Home Assistant, and which smart plugs would fit your setup best.