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Choosing a smart plug with energy monitoring
Want to measure one appliance’s electricity use? First choose a plug suitable for the load, then check which app displays watts and kWh. This guide compares the European Tapo P110M and Shelly Plug M Gen3 using manufacturer documentation. Tapo lists a higher resistive-load limit; Shelly offers MQTT for custom integrations. Zovif has not tested the plugs. We discuss Plug M Gen3 (S3PL-30110EU), not the older Plug S Gen3 that Shelly lists as discontinued.
The Shelly version discussed
This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.nl. As an Amazon Associate, Zovif earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure (NL).
The affiliate link goes to a white Shelly Plug M Gen3 four-pack at Amazon.nl. Do not compare its pack price with the price of a single plug. Plug M Gen3 differs from the older Plug S Gen3. Before connecting anything, check the permitted load and appliance type. Check the exact version, seller, current price, availability and delivery to your country. The Dutch source records 12 October 2026 as its product-link check date; this is not a current stock guarantee.
Shelly Plug M Gen3 · 4 × — View at Amazon.nl →
1. Decide what you want to measure
Write down what you want to learn: daily consumption, standby use, or when an appliance is on. Instantaneous power in watts differs from accumulated energy in kilowatt-hours. Observe a fridge across several normal cycles rather than one short snapshot. Example: a constant 100-watt load for five hours uses 0.1 kilowatts × 5 hours = 0.5 kWh. Real appliances can draw varying power. A money figure also requires your tariff and measurement period. This guide predicts no savings and assumes no fictitious electricity price.
2. Check the load before the features
Read the appliance rating plate and the plug’s manual. A maximum resistive-load rating is not automatically an allowed motor load. Starting currents and behaviour after a power cut can differ. A smart plug does not replace a suitable electrical installation or a necessary safety device. Charging equipment, production machinery and applications where unexpected shutdown has consequences require specific confirmation of suitability. Do not rely solely on the maximum wattage. These compact plugs are not a general solution for all electrical equipment.
3. Two examples with different limits
For the P110M on its Dutch product page, TP-Link states a maximum 16 A / 3680 W for general use and resistive loads, plus a separate motor limit of 1/6 HP. It lists energy monitoring and Matter. Check the current regional version: other socket variants need not share the limits. Shelly lists 13 A / 3000 W for resistive loads for the European Plug M Gen3. Its documentation describes power and energy measurement and local integration, including MQTT. Do not treat 3000 W as a universal limit for every load.
| Decision point | Tapo P110M (NL) | Shelly Plug M Gen3 (EU) |
|---|---|---|
| Stated load limit | 16 A / 3680 W, general use and resistive load; motor: 1/6 HP | 13 A / 3000 W, resistive load only |
| View consumption | Energy monitoring in the Tapo app | Power and energy measurement; Shelly Smart Control |
| Matter | Yes; check the readings your connected app shows | Yes; check the readings your connected app shows |
| Custom integration | Check your app and platform | Official local API and MQTT; setup required |
| Before buying | Load type, regional version and desired history | Load type, version and desired integration |
The main comparison in the Dutch source was checked against manufacturer documentation on 28 October 2026. On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways. These specifications are not an accuracy or quality ranking. Manufacturer documents do not establish how accurately your particular plug measures very low standby power. No independent Zovif measurement has been performed.
4. Assess app and ecosystem separately
Ask where readings appear, how long history is kept and whether it can be exported. Matter switching support does not automatically mean every connected app shows the same energy graphs. Check energy readings, automations and preferences in the ecosystem and firmware you actually use. Tapo’s own app is a concrete place to assess its monitoring. Shelly’s local API and MQTT permit additional integrations, but are not a ready-made dashboard: setup and maintenance are part of the decision. Note whether a function needs internet, an account, a hub or only the local network.
5. Compare on your own terms
- Load: Tapo states a higher resistive upper limit, but appliance load type, the manual and installation remain decisive.
- Data: check instantaneous power, energy over time, history and export for both. Do not buy “energy monitoring” if your chosen platform shows only on/off status.
- Integration: assess the desired app and local capabilities. MQTT or a custom dashboard needs technical setup. Useful history in the standard app may matter more in a simple household.
- Practical use: check space in a double wall socket, access to the button, network range and operation after power or internet failure. Specifications and photographs do not replace that check.
6. How to run a useful later trial
For a useful later trial, record the exact model, firmware, connected appliance and settings. Observe normal use over a representative period, such as seven days. Compare similar days and record exceptions. Separately test which local controls and routines work without internet. Zovif has not performed this trial. Then confirm that stored data remains available where you need it. Do not treat consumer readings as certified billing measurements without evidence. Privacy and cloud use also matter: review the data an account requires and which functions remain usable locally.
Extra models: monitoring or switching only?
Supplement v1.1: original check on 7 October 2026; Shelly model status clarified on 26 October 2026. These products supplement the two main examples. This compares documented functions, not quality scores.
| Model | Documented functions | Main check |
|---|---|---|
| Tapo P115 | Monitoring + switching · Tapo/Wi-Fi · indoors | For measurement and switching through Tapo. The Dutch product page does not list Matter. |
| Tapo P110M | Monitoring + switching · Matter · indoors | Check the required controller and which readings your app actually displays. |
| Tapo P100 | Switching · Tapo/Wi-Fi · indoors | For control only; not an alternative to an energy meter. |
| Tapo P300 | Three switched outlets · HomeKit/Tapo · indoors | Check the combined load. The product page does not list energy monitoring. HomeKit is not Matter. |
| Shelly Plug S Gen3 — black, discontinued | Monitoring + switching · Matter according to the current manufacturer page · indoors | Shelly lists this model as discontinued and points to Plug M Gen3 as its successor. This row helps identify an existing unit or remaining stock. Check that model’s own specifications; do not transfer Plug M Gen3 limits to it. |
Four choices before ordering
- Purpose: a lamp on a schedule, or energy use over time? P100 and P300 are switching examples. For measurement, choose a model explicitly listing energy monitoring; a smart name or app is insufficient.
- Platform: P110M and Plug M Gen3 support Matter according to their manufacturers. Matter does not make the discontinued Plug S Gen3 the same product. Check your controller, exact model and firmware. P300 listing HomeKit does not prove Matter support.
- Connections: one plug suits one appliance; P300 permits separate control of three outlets. A power strip has no unlimited capacity. Add simultaneous loads and follow the model manual. USB power and socket load have separate limits.
- In practice: confirm clearance beside other plugs, button access and required behaviour after a power cut for the exact EU model. Monitoring is not guaranteed savings or an independent accuracy test.
Sources and updates
The Dutch main comparison was updated using manufacturer documentation on 28 October 2026. The supplementary models have their separate dates above. This is source research and practical choice guidance, not a product test. Manufacturer figures are not independent performance measurements. No personal test experience or promises of current prices have been added. Dutch prices have not been checked.
Tapo P115 (NL) · Tapo P110M (NL) · Tapo P100 (NL) · Tapo P300 (NL) · Shelly Plug S Gen3 · Shelly Plug M Gen3 · Shelly Plug M Gen3 — API