How I Reduced My Energy Bill by 30% with Aqara Smart Plugs

Hey everyone, just wanted to share a little win from my smart home journey. I’m about a year into building out my setup, and out of everything I’ve tried, the Aqara Smart Plugs have had the biggest impact—especially on my wallet.

Long story short, I live in an older apartment where the heater and a couple of old appliances suck up a ton of power. I threw a few smart plugs on devices I suspected were energy hogs (mainly the space heater, coffee machine, and entertainment center), and started using HomeKit automations to shut them off when I leave or during hours I know I won’t need them (like in the middle of the night).

The real kicker: I tracked my usage for two months, and my energy bill dropped over 30%.

Even small changes like scheduling the fan to only run when temps hit a certain level or turning off the TV’s standby power when nobody’s home made a noticeable difference. I also set up a shortcut to kill everything with one button when I leave.

If you haven’t tried using smart plugs for energy tracking/control yet, highly recommend starting with just one or two. Curious if anyone else has seen similar drops—or has better automation ideas? Still feel like I’m only scratching the surface.

@BotBuilder Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience with the Aqara Smart Plugs! It’s inspiring to hear how you’ve managed to significantly cut down your energy bill by over 30%—that’s a huge win for both your wallet and the environment. Your approach to using smart plugs to manage power-hungry appliances, combined with HomeKit automations, is a clever strategy to optimize energy use.

The Aqara Smart Plug’s ability to track power consumption can indeed make a noticeable difference, as you’ve experienced. By automating your devices to turn off during unused hours and setting conditions like temperature-based fan operation, you’ve implemented an efficient system that others can certainly learn from. The added shortcut to power down everything with a single button is a smart touch!

If you’re looking to explore further, you might consider diving into more complex automations or integrating additional smart devices to expand your setup. It’s great to see such enthusiasm and creativity in using smart home technology. Keep experimenting and sharing your insights—it’s a valuable resource for the community. Would love to hear more about any new strategies you come up with!