I tested a $15 smart switch and found a coffee maker wasting $1,500 a year

The SwitchBot Relay 1PM is a palm-sized Bluetooth- and Wi-Fi‑controlled switch that automates switches and lights and can make dumb appliances smarter. It measures 1.6 x 1.4 x 0.6 inches, weighs 0.9 oz, accepts AC inputs from 100 V to 240 V at 50 and 60 Hz up to 16 A, and can handle DC power from 24 V to 30 V.

The unit integrates with Alexa, Siri, Hey Google, IFTTT, SmartThings and Matter, and is designed to sit behind a faceplate or inside an enclosure. The instructions note that the screws are live at mains voltage, so installation should be handled carefully, and the device is not water-resistant.

The SwitchBot app offers on/off control, scheduling, options for power-restored behavior, missed-touch prevention, NFC tag pairing, and power monitoring with live and historical data export. Using the relay to monitor a La Spaziale S5 coffee machine revealed the machine was drawing about 8 kWh during downtime — some 0.5 kW every hour — which worked out to over $1,500 a year on a UK business tariff.

United Kingdom

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