This $24 Smart Home Gadget Can Save You Hundreds Of Dollars

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

With energy costs skyrocketing for a number of reasons, it makes sense to cut down on excessive or wasteful energy use as much as possible. Enter the modern smart plug, like this $24 Kasa smart plug four-pack on sale for 20% off. Using the mobile companion app, or IFTTT, you can fully automate or schedule connected devices. You can also turn them on or off using your voice through Alexa or Google Home by tapping in the built-in buttons or remotely through the app.

Smart plugs allow you to quickly turn a coffee pot or other small appliances on and off when you're not using them. If you'd rather not use a smart bulb, you can also connect them to lamps to automate those. You can create any number of scenarios via Alexa and other services. In my home, I have "TMNT" and "Mortal Kombat" arcade cabinets plugged into Kasa smart plugs, and when I tell Alexa it's "game time," she turns them on. Silly? Maybe. Cool? Absolutely.

Beyond the recreational setup, they're an excellent way to automate a host of electronics. Schedule and automate Christmas lights, decorations, appliances, lamps — you name it. They connect to your home network via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and they're very easy to install and setup — I use Kasa's larger plugs, which are also on sale. The U.S. is potentially banning TP-Link routers from American homes, though, and it's not clear what will happen with its smart home products.

With Kasa smart plugs, you can schedule on and off times, for example, so the lights or devices power on and off again at specific times of the day. This could allow you to set up something that automatically turns on in the morning as you're waking up or when you get home from work. It can also come in handy when you leave for vacation and want lights to turn on and off automatically to simulate someone being home. An Amazon smart plug is recommended in our essential smart home gadgets list, and while this isn't Amazon's brand specifically, the Kasa plugs do work with Alexa.

Through the Kasa app, you can also interact with the plugs remotely, use your voice through Alexa, Google Home, and connected platforms, or automate them in other, more advanced ways through IFTTT.

BGR's top picks for smart plugs include Kasa and TP-Link options, even if not the mini variety specifically. Moreover, out of nearly 26,000 reviews on Amazon, they have 4.4 stars, with 77% of those reviews at five stars. People really seem to love them. Comments say the Kasa mini is an "excellent product," claim they offer "great value," and note that they're "easy to set up and use." One thing is certain: this sale price is a steal for a popular accessory.