These 6 smart plugs are the best for tracking energy usage

Now more than ever, it's important to use energy wisely, so we've compiled a list of the best energy monitoring smart plugs available right now. Smart plugs are the best and most convenient smart home accessories for controlling devices around your home. Most typically work with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and can turn almost any lamp or small appliance into a smart device you can control with your phone or just your voice. We've highlighted the best smart plugs that go the extra mile and offer energy monitoring features that let you track how much energy your favorite devices and appliances draw so that you can make the best purchase decision for your household.

It's all in the name

TopGreener Heavy-Duty Smart Wi-Fi Plug

Staff Pick

This plug from TopGreener excels at what it does. It's a little chunkier than others on this list, meaning it will cover both outlets when plugged into a wall. However, it requires no hub for setup — just a 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi connection and the TopGreener app, where you can monitor real-time and historical power consumption data from your connected electronics and set times and schedules to avoid wasting energy.

$16 at Amazon

Compact and affordable

Lenovo Wi-Fi Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitor

The Lenovo Wi-Fi Smart Plug with Energy Monitor is a compact smart plug that lets you control lights or appliances using an accompanying Lenovo Link Pro app and control things with Google Assistant or Alexa without needing a hub. From the app, you can monitor the energy usage from the plugged-in appliance in real-time. It has all the safety features you need to keep your family and home safe and is backed by a one-year warranty.

$15 at B&H

Works with Samsung SmartThings

Samsung SmartThings Outlet

Samsung's SmartThings system is a popular choice for building out your dream smart home with different sensors for monitoring all aspects around your home. If you're bought into this ecosystem already, you'll definitely want to invest in more smart plugs, which you can then monitor your plugged-in devices via the SmartThings app. You can connect over 200 SmartThings devices to a single hub, so, in theory, you can monitor every plug-in device in your home if you so choose.

$35 at Amazon $18 at Best Buy $18 at Walmart

Mid-range option

Kasa Smart Plug Mini with Energy Monitoring

Kasa/TP-Link's smart home products are super popular because they're affordable and designed to be simple to use. In fact, it's so easy to use that Amazon has added it to its Certified for Humans program. With the Smart Plug Mini, you can monitor your energy use and schedule devices to power on/off whenever you want. It also allows for group control and features a handy away mode for when you're on extended absence.

$23 at Amazon $10 at Best Buy

Double-duty

Satechi Dual Smart Outlet with Real-Time Power Monitoring

This smart plug offers two outlets, with a single "always on" outlet and three that can be individually controlled using the smartphone app or with Apple's Siri, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa. It uses the Satechi app for setup and real-time energy monitoring, and it leaves the second outlet space available for your other devices.

$60 at Amazon

Touch and go

Eve Energy Smart Plug & Power Meter

This smart plug from Eve not only works with your favorite smart assistant or through its app, but you can even tap it to turn it on or off. You can purchase these in single or double packs.

$40 at Apple $40 at Amazon

These are your smartest buys for smart plugs

Are you dealing with rising energy costs for your home? Energy monitoring is a great way to test out what devices and appliances in your home are drawing more power while plugged in. By having a better idea of which things around your house are drawing more power, you can make sensible decisions that could end up saving you a ton of money on your power bill.

Our top recommendation is the TopGreener Heavy-Duty Smart Wi-Fi Plug, which is a reliable smart plug with built-in energy monitoring that you can review from the app and track your plug-in devices' power consumption. It's also available in other finishes and bundles to suit various styles and use cases.

For a multi-plug option, we've got the Satechi Dual Smart Outlet with Real-Time Power Monitoring, which offers you the most flexibility, and the Eve Energy Smart Plug & Power Meter gives you multi-assistant capabilities with good old fashioned touch to tap functionality.

If you decide you want something simpler or just want to check out other options, there are plenty of other great smart plugs available.

by Marc Lagace