Joinsubscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. Smart plugs are a ,ake way to automate your dumb devices, mkney lamps, game systems, and coffee makers. They also promise energy and money savings. But will they save enough money to pay for themselves? Maybe eventually. Just plug it into an electrical outlet and then plug something into it. You now have a smart outlet—use an app for the rest. No need to get out any tools, or play with electrical wiring. You might think that pug plugs would be a great way to save energy. Many of your electronics are as energy efficient possible, to begin with, and at least in the United States, electricity is a fairly cheap resource.