Tech Caddie Tip of the Week: Use Kasa Smart Plugs to automatically turn lights on near sunset and off later in the evening.
As a Tech Caddie co-founder, I’m always tinkering with tech at home to make the house safer and more inviting. For years, I’ve had our landscape lights and a few interior lamps on timers to automatically turn them on in the evening and off later at night. Trouble is that it turns into a drag having to adjust all of the timers for the sunset time as it changes during the year. With old-school timers on a fixed schedule, the lights are always coming on too early or too late.
From Timer Frustration to Sunset Ease
I swapped those pesky timers for Kasa smart plugs, connecting my exterior landscape lights and a few lamps in the house. Using the Kasa app, I set the landscape lights to turn on 30 minutes after sunset and the indoor lamps 30 minutes before sunset, both off at 10 p.m. The app automatically tracks sunset times, so my home glows perfectly every night, no tweaks needed. It’s warm, safe, and hassle-free!
The smart plugs can be controlled by an app on my phone. This makes it easy to turn the landscape lights on earlier or keep them on later for visitors.
✅ Step 1: Order Kasa smart plugs
They are available on Amazon or direct from the manufacturer. The model KP400 ($17 for 1 plug) for exterior use or the model HS103 ($29 for 4-pack) for interior.
✅ Step 2: Make sure you have a guest network set up on your WiFi.
It is best to segregate home automation devices on their own network. Tech Caddie can help you remotely configure your WiFi with a guest network.
✅Step #3: Download and install app and create a Kasa ID.
✅Step #4: Add the smart plugs to the app.
Click on the + in the top right corner of the app home screen and follow the prompts.✅Step #5: Group the plugs into scenes and actions in the app.
I have a scene called “Inside Off” that has all of my interior lamp smart plugs in an off state and a corresponding “Inside On” scene that has all of my interior smart plugs in an on state.✅Step #6: Create smart actions to run the scenes.
I have a smart action called “Sunset minus 30” that is configured to run the “Inside On” scene 30 minutes before sunset. I also have corresponding off smart actions at a fixed time.⛳ Caddie Wisdom:
If you are already an Amazon Alexa user, it’s possible to control the Kasa plugs with your voice through Alexa.
🎯 Have questions about what to buy or need some help setting things up?
Book your 30-minute Tech Caddie session and we’ll walk you through it—judgment-free, step-by-step.