Description
A UK 13A WiFi smart plug with built-in energy monitoring. Plug any standard UK three-pin appliance into it and you get four things: remote on/off control from anywhere, real-time wattage measurement, schedules and automations, and voice control via Alexa or Google Home. No hub or bridge needed – the plug connects directly to your home WiFi router.
Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and the Tuya / SmartLife app (the same backend with two names). Works with Home Assistant via the LocalTuya or Tuya cloud integrations, though for a fully local Home Assistant setup the Zigbee version is a cleaner fit.
What energy monitoring actually gives you
Most “smart plugs” only switch on and off. This one also measures the current passing through it and reports power consumption in real time. Three practical uses:
- Find the energy hogs. Plug things in for a few days, watch the daily consumption figure in the app. You’ll quickly identify which appliances cost real money to run (the old fridge in the garage, the tumble dryer, the gaming PC).
- Track always-on standby power. Modern TVs, set-top boxes, and printers draw a surprising amount even when “off”. Plug them through this and the app shows you exactly how much.
- Detect appliance faults. A washing machine that suddenly draws double its normal current usually has a worn motor or seized drum. Catching this early via monitoring saves an engineer callout later.
Data is shown in watts (instantaneous), kWh per day, and cumulative kWh – with daily, weekly, and monthly history graphs in the app.
Voice control via Alexa and Google Home
Once paired to your WiFi via the SmartLife or Tuya app, link the app to Alexa or Google through their respective integrations. The plug then appears as a controllable device:
- Alexa: “Alexa, turn off the lamp” / “Alexa, what’s the power draw on the kitchen plug?”
- Google Home: “Hey Google, turn on the heater” / “Hey Google, set the bedroom plug schedule”
The Alexa energy-draw query depends on Alexa skill version and may need recent firmware – it works but isn’t always the first feature exposed.
Practical uses
- Christmas / festive lighting – set schedules so outdoor or indoor lights come on at sunset and off at bedtime without manual intervention.
- Coffee machine / kettle – have it on by the time you walk into the kitchen in the morning. (Note: only use with appliances rated for unattended remote switching – consult appliance manual.)
- Holiday “presence” simulation – schedule random on/off cycles on bedroom and living room lamps to look occupied while you’re away.
- Standby cull – plug TVs, set-top boxes, and games consoles through it. Schedule “off” overnight to kill standby draw.
- Energy-hungry appliance tracking – monitor the freezer, the second fridge, the dehumidifier, and decide whether they’re worth replacing with more efficient models based on real numbers.
Setup walkthrough
- Plug the smart plug into a UK mains socket. The indicator light flashes – the plug is in pairing mode.
- Install the Tuya or SmartLife app on your phone (iOS or Android). Same backend, either app works.
- In the app, tap “+” to add a device. The app should auto-detect the plug. If not, choose “Socket” or “Plug” from the device list.
- Enter your home WiFi credentials. Important: this must be a 2.4 GHz network. The plug does not support 5 GHz. If your router broadcasts both bands under one SSID, temporarily disable 5 GHz during pairing.
- Wait 30-60 seconds for pairing to complete. The indicator goes solid once connected.
- Optional: in the Alexa or Google Home app, enable the Smart Life or Tuya integration and discover devices.
Specifications
What’s in the box
- 1 × WiFi smart plug with energy monitoring
- Quick-start guide with QR code to download the SmartLife app
Works but intermittent connectivity
Haven’t used yet
Easy to set up and use. Very useful item.
All works as advertised so far. You can choose whether it comes ON or stays OFF or retains the last setting, should it have been turned off at the wall and then its supply be restored.
I was a little leary about purchasing an inexpensive smart plug it’s 1/3rd the cost of my others one of which failed that’s why I bought this one. From taking out of the box to having it up and running with the Tuya app took me about 3 minutes. I highly recommend this plug.
These little guys are great. I no longer have to set up timers for lights when I am gone on vacation. I also use these for security cameras to be able to reset them when they go offline. They were easy to set up and are easy to use with my phone. I would recommend these to anyone.
Funciona perfecto estoy en cantada y f?cil de usar, compre otro paquete
The plug itself and the app are great. Super easy to set up and use. However, no matter how much troubleshooting I do, the paired account wont connect to my Alexa which is specifically what I bought it for.