TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini EP25

The cheapest sensible way to start. It is slim enough that two share a standard double outlet, shows energy readings in the Kasa app and works with Alexa, Google and Apple Home without a hub, so a lamp or fan is on a schedule within minutes. Engadget named it the best smart plug overall in its 2026 guide, usually sold in four-packs at about $13 a plug. The catch is age and the missing Matter support. It is a few years old, and if you expect to change assistants between flats, the Kasa KP125M costs a little more and carries Matter.