A smart outlet is an electrical outlet that can be controlled remotely to turn on or off the power supply to devices plugged into it. Smart outlets are used in homes and businesses to provide remote control of lights, appliances, and other devices.
Smart outlets are part of the Internet of Things (IoT), a network of physical objects that are embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and connectivity to enable them to collect and exchange data. The IoT includes a variety of devices and systems that enable communication between people and devices, as well as between devices themselves.
The benefits of using smart outlets include energy savings, increased safety, convenience, and security. Smart outlets can be controlled manually or through automation. Automation can be based on time schedules, sensor input (such as motion detection), or geofencing (location-based triggers).
Energy savings: Smart outlets can help save energy by automatically turning off lights and appliances when they’re not needed. For example, you can set lamps to turn off during daylight hours or after you leave the house. You can also schedule appliance usage during low-demand times (such as running the dishwasher at night).
Increased safety: Smart outlets can help prevent fires by automatically shutting off power to appliances when they overheat or detect smoke/fire. They can also turn off power to unused rooms or areas of your home/business (such as guest bedrooms) to reduce the risk of electrical accidents.
Convenience: With smart outlets, you don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn off lights or appliances when you leave the house – you can just set them to do it automatically. You can also use smart outlets to create “scenes” that control multiple devices at once (for example: turning on all the lights in your living room with one button). This is especially handy if you have young children who may need help operating light switches!
Security: Some smart outlet models include features such as tamper-resistant covers and encryption that make them more secure than traditional outlets. This is important if you want to protect your home against burglars or hackers who could gain control of your lights and appliances remotely.