A colour bulb does not pay for itself. A geyser that used to run from breakfast to midnight does.
If you only buy five things this year, buy these, in this order. Costs sit in what a smart home costs. The starting philosophy is in how to start.
1. A geyser timer that matches the element
Default: Sonoff POW Elite 20A on a 3 kW element.
This is the device that shows up on the bill. Schedule it. Read the watts for a week. You will find out whether the thermostat is honest.
Not a plug-in adapter. Not a 16 A unit on a 3 kW plate. Read the element post before you click buy.
2. A relay on the gate or garage you already own
Default: Sonoff gate/garage relay.
You keep the motor. You add a phone button and a “did I leave it open?” check. That saves fuel, time, and the family WhatsApp thread.
Full path: smart gate without replacing the motor.
3. One power-monitoring plug or relay on the real villain
After the geyser, the villain is usually a pool pump, a bar fridge, or a heater that never sleeps.
Put a monitored switch on that circuit. Look at the kWh. Then decide if it deserves a schedule. Do not monitor a bedside lamp and call it energy management.
Sonoff vs Shelly for this job: the comparison.
4. Two sensors, not ten
A door/gate contact and one motion or leak sensor.
The contact tells you the gate or back door state. The leak sensor belongs in the geyser tray before you buy a presence sensor for the passage.
Sensors are cheap. Notification noise is not. Two that matter beat a drawer of beeps.
5. A hub, when the apps pile up
Home Assistant Green, on ethernet, on a UPS.
This is the device that stops you teaching your partner four logins. It is also the device that still runs when the vendor cloud is sulking. Why.
If you only have the geyser timer and you are happy in eWeLink, wait. The Green is item five, not item one.
What did not make the list
- Colour bulbs
- Voice speakers
- Robot vacuums
- Motorised curtains
- A camera that only lives in a Chinese app
- A tablet for every wall
Buy those after the house already earns its keep.
FAQ
Can I stop after item 1? Yes. That is a complete project.
Do these work in a rental? Items 3, 4 and 5 often do. Items 1 and 2 need permission and usually an electrician.
Pool pump instead of geyser? If the pool is the bill, swap it into slot 1. Same rule: match the amps.
Do I need Zigbee for these five? No. Wi‑Fi is fine at this count if the signal reaches the box.
