A closer look at smart power strips vs. traditional power strips

When was the last time you thought about power strips? Sure, they’re handy when you’re running out of open wall outlets, but could they do more? What if a power strip could help measurably enhance your home’s energy efficiency and automated connectivity?

Enter the smart power strip. At first glance, smart power strips might look like their traditional counterparts. Yet, while traditional power strips are largely passive devices, smart power strips are designed to be part of your home network and play an active role in your everyday energy management.

At Reliant, we’re here to show you how smart power strips can be part of a whole smarter home solution that helps you streamline your day-to-day routine while you save energy.

Essential smart power strip features

Look into smart power strips and you’ll find an array of innovative features and capabilities. Here are a few available features you should consider for your “must have” list.

• Easy integration with your smart-home network
• Remote control and routine-building for plugged-in devices
• Independent control of each outlet on the strip 
  
• Energy-usage monitoring for each device connected to the strip
• Protection against power surges
  

By utilizing smart power strips to help better understand your energy consumption patterns, you can make informed decisions that can lead to more efficient energy use and perhaps even lower electricity bills.

Smart power strips can enhance your home automation

Imagine your coffee maker turning on just as your morning alarm goes off or your lights automatically dimming on their own to create the perfect movie-watching ambiance. How about a festive holiday light display that powers up and down automatically?  

Smart power strips make all this easy through their own apps and via connectivity with popular smart home platforms.

And with smart power strips, convenience is always at your fingertips. Whether you're cozy in bed or away on vacation, smart power strips can let you control your plugged-in devices via voice commands or a few taps on your smartphone. This level of control not only simplifies your life but also can help you reduce energy costs.

Using smart power strips to monitor and save energy

Perhaps the biggest benefit of smart power strips is their ability to help you monitor energy usage in real time. This ability to "look inside the outlet" means you can easily identify devices that are energy hogs and adjust their usage accordingly.

Traditional power strips do indeed offer convenience, but they come with a sneaky downside: They encourage you to leave devices plugged in all the time. Presuming you don’t click off the entire power strip, this enables “bad behavior” among electronic vampires such as your computer printer, for one example. That printer may look innocent in standby mode, but its glowing LED means even when it’s not running, it’s still sapping energy from the grid and bloating your electricity bill.

When appropriate, smart power strips can cut the standby supply of electricity to these power-using phantoms, resulting in energy savings, reductions on your bill and more sustainable energy use.

How smart power strips can help you better manage electronics and plugged-in appliancesⁱ

• Many smart power strip apps allow you to monitor energy usage per outlet, so you can turn devices off ⏤ through the strip itself ⏤ that are using too much power.
• When a device plugged into a smart power strip goes into standby mode, its power consumption drops. A properly calibrated smart strip can detect this and automatically cut power to its outlet completely.
• Smart power strips can group devices that work together ⏤ like a TV and soundbar ⏤ allowing you to power them completely on and off as a grouping. When the device plugged into the strip’s designated “control” outlet ⏤ let’s say, your living room TV ⏤ is powered up, it triggers the full group of related devices.
• Some smart power strips even include motion detection, which enables or disables outlets based on people’s presence in a room.
• Like smart outlets and smart switches, smart power strips allow you to build on-off schedules and routines for specific devices and power groupings.

Smart power strip installation

Setting up a smart power strip can be as easy as plugging it in and connecting it to your home Wi-Fi network. Typically, through a corresponding app, you can begin customizing smart strip settings and schedules to fit your lifestyle. No special tools or technical know-how are usually required.

Ensuring appliance compatibility

Before installing smart power strips, it's important to ensure that your devices are compatible. Like traditional power strips, the vast majority of smart power strips work seamlessly with a wide range of household appliances and electronics, but it's always a good idea to check the specifications to avoid any surprises.

• Ideally, a smart power strip’s automated sensors will be precise enough to detect when a plugged-in device goes into standby mode.
• Look for smart power strips that offer the ability to calibrate voltage sensitivity to help ensure they properly power down devices that may be in standby.
  
• Also, if you have a device that should remain in standby mode to perform certain background tasks (like automated background software updates), make sure you take this into consideration when using a smart power strip.

Integrating smart power strips with other smart home products

Like regular power strips, smart power strips are ready to work in harmony with other smart home products, creating a cohesive and intelligent home ecosystem. Either via their own app or integrated with popular home automation platforms, smart power strips can offer enhanced control and efficiency for smart lights, security cameras and more.

Customizing lighting and automation

The true beauty of smart power strips lies in their ability to be customized to your unique needs. From scheduling lights to turn on at sunset, to automating your home office setup for peak productivity hours, the possibilities are endless. By tailoring your smart power strip settings, you can create a home environment that's both comfortable and energy efficient.

Benefits of using smart power strips

Smart power strips are a leap forward in our quest for smarter, more energy-efficient homes. They can help you save energy and reduce your energy bill.

Enhancing energy efficiency

By giving you the power to control and automate the operation of your devices, smart power strips can help minimize wasteful energy consumption.

Realizing savings on your electricity bill

An initial investment in smart power strips can pay for itself through the savings realized on your electricity bill. By eliminating vampire power drains and optimizing the use of your devices, you can experience reductions in your energy costs, making smart power strips a wise choice.

Smart power strip wrap-up

Today's smart power strips represent a leap forward in our quest for smarter, more energy-efficient homes. By embracing this technology, we can simplify our lives, save on energy costs and contribute to a more sustainable world.

And remember, devices like smart power strips and smart thermostats are just some of the ways you can better manage energy and make the most of a connected home.

Customers who choose Reliant also have access to our highly rated app, Weekly Summary Emails and customized alerts via text. These tools make it easy to manage electricity and make more informed decisions.

Frequently asked questions 

What makes smart power strips different from traditional power strips?

Smart power strips offer more than just extra outlets. They're designed to be part of your home network, allowing you to control and automate the operation of your plugged-in devices. Unlike traditional power strips, smart ones can monitor energy usage, cut power to devices in standby mode and integrate with your smart home system for enhanced energy efficiency and convenience.

How can smart power strips help me save on my electricity bill?

By giving you the ability to monitor and manage the energy consumption of each device plugged into them, smart power strips can identify energy hogs and reduce phantom power usage. This can lead to significant savings on your electricity bill by ensuring devices are only powered when needed and eliminating wasteful standby power consumption.

Can I control smart power strips when I'm not at home?

Yes, you can! Smart power strips can be controlled remotely via smartphone apps or voice commands through integration with home automation platforms like Google Home and Amazon Alexa. This means you can turn devices on or off, set schedules, and monitor energy usage from anywhere, providing both convenience and the opportunity to save energy.

Are all devices compatible with smart power strips?

While most household appliances and electronics work seamlessly with smart power strips, it's important to check the specifications for compatibility, especially for devices that require standby mode for background tasks. Some smart power strips allow you to calibrate voltage sensitivity to ensure proper operation of all your devices.

How do I choose the right smart power strip for my home?

Consider the number of outlets you need, compatibility with your smart home system, ease of installation, and specific features like energy usage monitoring and the ability to control individual outlets. Also, think about the initial cost versus the potential savings on your electricity bill. With a variety of options available, you can find a smart power strip that meets your needs and helps you achieve your energy-saving goals.

Source

ⁱ How Smart Power Strips Work, How Smart Power Strips Work | HowStuffWorks