Aeotec Smart Plug

The Aeotec Smart Switch 6 does two jobs: it switches whatever is plugged into it, and it measures what that thing actually costs you.

• The Aeotec Smart Switch 6 is Z-Wave, not Wi-Fi
• It measures what a thing actually costs you
• A system rather than a gadget
• The light ring and the USB socket
• Ratings and where it can go

The Aeotec Smart Switch 6 is Z-Wave, not Wi-Fi

The Aeotec Smart Switch 6 will not talk to your phone on its own and there is no app that pairs with it directly.

It needs a Z-Wave controller. We sell three that work with it: the Home Center Lite, the Home Center 2 and the Homey Pro. If you want a socket that works straight out of the box with nothing else, look at our Wi-Fi plugs instead.

It measures what a thing actually costs you

Watts now, and kilowatt hours over time, reported back to the controller.

That is the difference between a switch and a diagnostic. Put it on a fridge for a week, or a geyser, or the office equipment, and the chart tells you where the bill is going instead of leaving you to guess. With Tanzanian tariffs that is a question worth being able to answer.

A system rather than a gadget

Z-Wave devices repeat each other. Every mains powered one, this included, passes signal on for the battery devices around it.

So the more you add the better the network reaches the far end of the house, which is the opposite of what happens when you keep adding Wi-Fi gadgets to one router. Range is up to 150m outdoors, less through walls.

The light ring and the USB socket

The face carries a light ring that changes colour with the load, so you can see at a glance whether the thing plugged in is idling or pulling hard. It doubles as a night light, which is genuinely useful on a hallway socket.

There is also a 5V USB socket on the side rated at 1A, for charging a phone. It is a convenience rather than a fast charger, but it saves an outlet.

Ratings and where it can go

Rated 13A, and Aeotec publish 2990W for the UK model at 230V. Standby draw is 0.8W. It runs Z-Wave Plus at 868.42MHz.

Indoors and dry locations only. Not a bathroom, not a covered veranda where rain blows in, and not an outbuilding that gets damp. If you want the most accurate metering rather than the USB port and the night light, the Fibaro Wall Plug measures to within 1 per cent and shows Z-Wave signal strength during setup. Aeotec publish their range at aeotec.com.