Way too intrusive
Why so much data required just to switch a plug on. Sick of this surveillance economy.
AWFUL!
You can’t change the schedule of a plug unless you delete it and then pair it again.
Smart plug and app review
So I bought the Status smart plug (ALDISMARTSKT6) from aldi for £5, which seems a good price. I generally don’t like smart devices due to tracking and privacy invasions - inc. electric “smart” meters.
Regardless I wanted to try this because of energy usage for a particular device over time and how much it costs to run.
Reading online how many smart plugs have failed, I’m wary how long this lasts - I’ll update this review if it fails after a year or two.
The app initially wants access to local network, location, and Bluetooth to pair with plug. But thankfully after that, I denied it permission to local net and location, and it still works fine with only Bluetooth active. Checking app privacy report, it mostly contacts tuya domains, thankfully none from Google.
The app works ok, but there’s usability issues.
1. I love that it allows multiple costs to be set for different times (in case you’re using dual meter or economy 7/10 meter), but it only allows hour, not minute adjustment for the period. Why?
2. When re-opening app, it doesn’t refresh data, and user has to select to go back or change day/week for newer data to be fetched. I assume it fetches data from their server?
3. The buttons for going back and forward for day/week/month are too small, and they should allow swiping on graph or date to go back/forward like Apple Stocks app.
4. Once enough data has been collected over period of weeks/months, there’s no way to go back to a particular day/week and view usage, unless you keep tapping the tiny back button below chart.
It would be nice if one could tap of day/week/month to show calendar and pick a particular period.
5. I don’t know why they made it so easy to switch off plug and provided 2 huge buttons to switch off - why? It should at least ask for confirmation and show a label when it’s on/off, not just base it in colour.
6. Setting usage/cost reminder in case it goes above a certain threshold is nice, but I don’t know why they don’t allow a floating point number, like 1.4?
7. I wish it would allow more granular data, including hourly stats.
I think I’ll leave the review at that. In summary I think they could have done a lot more with the app, and once you start playing with it and analysing data and trends for electric usage, it leaves a lot more to be desired.
Update 2025/10/16:
I’ve encountered a major issue with the smart plug / app, where it doesn’t seem to pick up on a low power device, or a device in standby but still using 1/2 watts, like 1.4 watts.
It also doesn’t register when something like a cooker is intermittently using a lot of power, but constantly switches on/off in cycles, like a electric hob cooker.
Regardless I wanted to try this because of energy usage for a particular device over time and how much it costs to run.
Reading online how many smart plugs have failed, I’m wary how long this lasts - I’ll update this review if it fails after a year or two.
The app initially wants access to local network, location, and Bluetooth to pair with plug. But thankfully after that, I denied it permission to local net and location, and it still works fine with only Bluetooth active. Checking app privacy report, it mostly contacts tuya domains, thankfully none from Google.
The app works ok, but there’s usability issues.
1. I love that it allows multiple costs to be set for different times (in case you’re using dual meter or economy 7/10 meter), but it only allows hour, not minute adjustment for the period. Why?
2. When re-opening app, it doesn’t refresh data, and user has to select to go back or change day/week for newer data to be fetched. I assume it fetches data from their server?
3. The buttons for going back and forward for day/week/month are too small, and they should allow swiping on graph or date to go back/forward like Apple Stocks app.
4. Once enough data has been collected over period of weeks/months, there’s no way to go back to a particular day/week and view usage, unless you keep tapping the tiny back button below chart.
It would be nice if one could tap of day/week/month to show calendar and pick a particular period.
5. I don’t know why they made it so easy to switch off plug and provided 2 huge buttons to switch off - why? It should at least ask for confirmation and show a label when it’s on/off, not just base it in colour.
6. Setting usage/cost reminder in case it goes above a certain threshold is nice, but I don’t know why they don’t allow a floating point number, like 1.4?
7. I wish it would allow more granular data, including hourly stats.
I think I’ll leave the review at that. In summary I think they could have done a lot more with the app, and once you start playing with it and analysing data and trends for electric usage, it leaves a lot more to be desired.
Update 2025/10/16:
I’ve encountered a major issue with the smart plug / app, where it doesn’t seem to pick up on a low power device, or a device in standby but still using 1/2 watts, like 1.4 watts.
It also doesn’t register when something like a cooker is intermittently using a lot of power, but constantly switches on/off in cycles, like a electric hob cooker.
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Useless
Absolutely useless
They make the connection process so hard I am surprised that anyone has connected anything
On-off-on-off blinking fast
Then again on-off-on-off blinking slowly
It usually takes 20 mins just to get through that
Then it fails with no error no help
Avoid all status products I’ve had a few now and they are useless and frustrating
They make the connection process so hard I am surprised that anyone has connected anything
On-off-on-off blinking fast
Then again on-off-on-off blinking slowly
It usually takes 20 mins just to get through that
Then it fails with no error no help
Avoid all status products I’ve had a few now and they are useless and frustrating
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Smart plug and app review
So I bought the Status smart plug (ALDISMARTSKT6) from aldi for £5, which seems a good price. I generally don’t like smart devices due to tracking and privacy invasions - inc. electric “smart” meters. Regardless I wanted to try this because of energy usage for a particular device over time and how much it costs to run.
Reading online how many smart plugs have failed, I’m wary how long this lasts - I’ll update this review if it fails after a year or two.
The app initially wants access to local network, location, and Bluetooth to pair with plug. But thankfully after that, I denied it permission to local net and location, and it still works fine with only Bluetooth active. Checking app privacy report, it mostly contacts tuya domains, thankfully none from Google.
The app works ok, but there’s usability issues.
1. I love that it allows multiple costs to be set for different times (in case you’re using dual meter or economy 7/10 meter), but it only allows hour, not minute adjustment for the period. Why?
2. When re-opening app, it doesn’t refresh data, and user has to select to go back or change day/week for newer data to be fetched. I assume it fetches data from their server?
3. The buttons for going back and forward for day/week/month are too small, and they should allow swiping on graph or date to go back/forward like Apple Stocks app.
4. I don’t know why they made it so easy to switch off plug and provided 2 huge buttons to switch off - why? It should at least ask for confirmation and show a label when it’s on/off, not just base it in colour.
5. Setting usage/cost reminder in case it goes above a certain threshold is nice, but I don’t know why they don’t allow a floating point number, like 1.4?
6. I wish it would allow more granular data, including hourly stats.
I think I’ll leave the review at that. In summary I think they could have done a lot more with the app, and once you start playing with it and analysing data and trends for electric usage, it leaves a lot more to be desired.
Reading online how many smart plugs have failed, I’m wary how long this lasts - I’ll update this review if it fails after a year or two.
The app initially wants access to local network, location, and Bluetooth to pair with plug. But thankfully after that, I denied it permission to local net and location, and it still works fine with only Bluetooth active. Checking app privacy report, it mostly contacts tuya domains, thankfully none from Google.
The app works ok, but there’s usability issues.
1. I love that it allows multiple costs to be set for different times (in case you’re using dual meter or economy 7/10 meter), but it only allows hour, not minute adjustment for the period. Why?
2. When re-opening app, it doesn’t refresh data, and user has to select to go back or change day/week for newer data to be fetched. I assume it fetches data from their server?
3. The buttons for going back and forward for day/week/month are too small, and they should allow swiping on graph or date to go back/forward like Apple Stocks app.
4. I don’t know why they made it so easy to switch off plug and provided 2 huge buttons to switch off - why? It should at least ask for confirmation and show a label when it’s on/off, not just base it in colour.
5. Setting usage/cost reminder in case it goes above a certain threshold is nice, but I don’t know why they don’t allow a floating point number, like 1.4?
6. I wish it would allow more granular data, including hourly stats.
I think I’ll leave the review at that. In summary I think they could have done a lot more with the app, and once you start playing with it and analysing data and trends for electric usage, it leaves a lot more to be desired.
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