In order to control the shutdown of our devices we can use specific plugs. There are those that are simply a timer, but we also have the option of having a smart plug. The difference is important and therefore in this article we are going to explain why they are not the same and what you should take into account. In this way you can buy the one that suits you best according to your needs and not have an unusable device.
A timer socket is very limited
What is a timer plug used for? This type of device is useful when we need to turn something off. They are cheap and we can place them anywhere in the house, to which we are going to plug in a device. For example, we can connect a stove, a fan, a television… Basically we put a certain time on it and one passes that time, it turns off.
They generally consist of a wheel that we adjust according to the time we need. It is a simple mechanism and really has no more function than that. If, for example, it is summer and we want the fan to work for a while when we go to sleep, but we want it to turn off later, we program it for as long as we need.
They are useful to save energy. That device will not be connected all night, for example. Once the time we have programmed ends, it turns off. One more option to try to lower the electricity bill, especially if we are going to use devices that consume a lot and we want them to turn off at a given time.
Advantages of a smart plug
Instead, a smart plug offers many more options. They are more modern devices that connect to the Wi-Fi network and that we will even be able to manage from our mobile, whether we are at home or away. Today they are a much more interesting option than a timer plug.
What can we do with a plug with Wi-Fi? Something basic is being able to turn appliances on and off remotely. We are going to connect the mobile to this device through an application. In this way we can decide when to turn something off or on. We can even do it if we are not at home at the time.
We will also be able to program the turning on or off of something. If we have an old air conditioner, without Wi-Fi, we can plug it in through this type of smart plug. From the mobile we can manage when it is going to turn on and in this way be able to cool a room in summer before arriving home, for example.
In addition, there are models that we will be able to control by voice or even measure electricity consumption. They have much more complete and advanced functions than simply a timer plug, which only serves to turn off a device once a certain time has elapsed that we have previously set.
Therefore, we can say that today it is much more interesting to buy a smart plug than a timer plug. There are many options available and each time we can find them cheaper and with more interesting functions that we can take advantage of in our day to day.
