A smart plug is one of the cheapest and most versatile smart home upgrades you can make. Plug one in between the wall socket and any appliance — a lamp, a fan, a coffee machine — and you can control it remotely, set schedules, and monitor energy usage. At £10–£20 each, they’re also low-risk enough to experiment with before committing to a full smart home setup.
This guide covers the best smart plugs available in the UK in 2026, all with the standard UK Type G (three-pin) socket. We’ve assessed them on reliability, app quality, energy monitoring, smart home integration, and value.
Our Top Picks
| Smart Plug | Best For | Approx Price |
|---|---|---|
| TP-Link Tapo P110 | Best overall | £16–£19 |
| Amazon Smart Plug | Best for Alexa homes | £24 |
| Eve Energy | Best for Apple HomeKit | £39 |
| IKEA INSPELNING | Best Zigbee budget option | £10 |
| Meross MSS310 | Best Matter option | £17 |
TP-Link Tapo P110 — Best Overall
The TP-Link Tapo P110 is the smart plug we’d recommend to most UK buyers. It’s compact enough not to block an adjacent socket, has reliable Wi-Fi connectivity, and includes energy monitoring — a feature that’s surprisingly absent on many budget competitors. The Tapo app is clean and well-designed, scheduling works reliably, and it integrates with both Alexa and Google Home.
The energy monitoring is genuinely useful: the P110 tracks real-time power consumption and gives you monthly usage reports so you can see exactly how much each appliance is costing you. At UK electricity prices, identifying which devices are energy hungry pays for the plug itself fairly quickly.
Pros
- Energy monitoring with monthly reports
- Compact design — doesn’t block adjacent socket
- Reliable Wi-Fi, works with Alexa and Google Home
- Excellent Tapo app
- Regularly on deal, often under £15
Cons
- No HomeKit or Matter support
- Cloud-dependent (TP-Link account required)
Price: £16–£19. Check on Amazon UK.
Amazon Smart Plug — Best for Alexa Homes
If your smart home is built around Amazon Alexa, this is the simplest possible smart plug. It sets up in about 30 seconds via the Alexa app, needs no separate app, and works flawlessly with Alexa routines. It uses Amazon’s own Sidewalk mesh protocol alongside Wi-Fi, which can improve connectivity in larger homes.
The downsides are that there’s no energy monitoring, no Google Home support, and no HomeKit. It’s an Alexa product through and through. At £24 it’s also more expensive than the Tapo P110 for fewer features — but if Alexa simplicity is what you want, nothing beats it.
Pros
- Effortless Alexa setup and integration
- Amazon Sidewalk for extended range
- No app needed beyond Alexa
Cons
- No energy monitoring
- Alexa-only — no Google Home or HomeKit
- More expensive than competitors with more features
Price: £24. Check on Amazon UK.
Eve Energy — Best for Apple HomeKit
The Eve Energy is the go-to smart plug for Apple HomeKit users. It uses Thread as its connectivity protocol — the same mesh networking technology that underpins Matter — which means it’s fast, reliable, and doesn’t need a hub beyond an Apple Home hub (HomePod mini or Apple TV). Energy monitoring is included and pulls directly into the Home app.
At £39 it’s expensive for a smart plug, but the HomeKit and Thread integration is best-in-class and entirely local — no cloud account, no data leaving your home. For Apple households that value privacy and reliability, it’s worth the premium.
Pros
- Best HomeKit integration available
- Thread protocol — fast, local, mesh networking
- Energy monitoring in the Home app
- No account or cloud required
Cons
- Expensive
- HomeKit only — no Alexa or Google Home
Price: £39. Check on Amazon UK.
IKEA INSPELNING — Best Budget Zigbee Option
At around £10, the IKEA INSPELNING smart plug is the best budget option for anyone with a Zigbee hub — Philips Hue Bridge, IKEA hub, or Home Assistant with a Zigbee coordinator. It includes energy monitoring, integrates reliably with Home Assistant via Zigbee2MQTT, and at this price you can outfit every socket in the house without spending a fortune.
It won’t win any awards for app design — IKEA’s Home Smart app is functional but basic — but for home automation enthusiasts using Home Assistant, direct Zigbee control is often preferable anyway.
Pros
- Excellent price
- Energy monitoring included
- Works with Home Assistant via Zigbee
- Available in UK IKEA stores
Cons
- Requires a Zigbee hub
- IKEA app is basic
- Bulkier than some alternatives
Price: Around £10 from IKEA UK.
What to Look for in a UK Smart Plug
Energy Monitoring
Not all smart plugs include energy monitoring, but it’s worth paying a few extra pounds for. Given current UK electricity prices (around 24p/kWh on average), being able to see exactly what your appliances are consuming helps identify energy hogs — old televisions, gaming consoles on standby, inefficient appliances — and the potential savings can be significant.
Size Matters
UK plug sockets are often paired as double sockets. A bulky smart plug can physically block the adjacent socket. Check the dimensions and reviews before buying — the TP-Link Tapo P110 and Meross MSS310 are notably compact for UK sockets.
Ecosystem Fit
Buy smart plugs that work with your existing ecosystem. HomeKit users: Eve Energy. Alexa-first: Amazon Smart Plug or Tapo. Google Home: Tapo or Meross. Home Assistant: IKEA INSPELNING or Tapo (Tapo has a good Home Assistant integration). Matter plugs like the Meross MSS310 work with everything but Matter’s local control advantage only applies if you have a Matter hub.
Our Recommendation
For most UK buyers, the TP-Link Tapo P110 is the right choice — it does everything you’d want from a smart plug at a fair price. If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, invest in the Eve Energy for seamless HomeKit and Thread integration. And if you’re running Home Assistant with a Zigbee setup, the IKEA INSPELNING is outstanding value at £10 a unit.