Smart plugs

Smart plugs insert between an appliance and the socket to add remote switching, scheduling and, on metering models, live power measurement.

Most units connect over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and increasingly support Matter for cross-platform control without a proprietary app; PM (power monitoring) variants report consumption in watts, useful for load management or billing sub-metering. DIN-rail decoupler modules serve the same role behind a fixed wiring point rather than a plug.

• Protocol — Wi-Fi needs only a router, Bluetooth suits short range, Matter enables control from any compatible ecosystem
• Rated current — check the 13 A or 16 A rating against the connected appliance's load, especially for resistive heating loads
• Metering — PM models add real-time power and energy logging, standard models switch only