The latest smart home devices and appliances promise to make everyday household tasks more convenient, but they come at a cost. Not only are they often more expensive than their non-smart counterparts, but if you buy them to replace your older devices, you’ll end up with a load of still-functional tech you don’t have space for. If you’re not keen on coughing up the cash for a boatload of the latest smart appliances, there are still plenty of simple things you can do to make almost every room of your home feel a little smarter.

One of the cheapest smart upgrades you can make is investing in a set of smart plugs, which allow you to switch connected devices on and off remotely. There is a huge range of dumb home devices and appliances that can be made more useful with a smart plug, from LED lighting and lamps to coffee machines. You could even attach a smart plug to a hard-to-reach floor lamp or a window air conditioner, so that the next time you need to turn them on or off, you won’t have to hurt your back.

We’ve already covered which smart plugs are worth buying, so we’ll keep the details brief here, but the short answer is that there isn’t one particular plug that’s definitively better than the rest. Each smart plug will be compatible with a slightly different list of smart home devices and platforms, and some are suitable for outdoor use while others need to be kept inside. What counts as the best option will vary based on your home’s existing tech setup, but the good news is that there are plenty of affordably priced smart plugs on the market from a variety of manufacturers.

It’s worth taking some time to choose carefully, since picking the right smart plug can make a big difference to its usefulness. Among other things, you’ll need to pick a plug that’s compatible with your favorite voice assistant, whether you prefer using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri via Apple HomeKit.

In addition to making your existing appliances more useful, a smart plug can also be a cheap way to cut down on your energy bills. Some smart plugs can detect when a connected device is in standby mode and automatically cut its power, preventing it from drawing energy while you’re not using it. Smart plugs are one of many energy-saving devices that can help cut your power bill, and in some cases, you might even be able to save enough that the plug ends up paying for itself.