Eve Energy Review 2021 – HomeKit smart plug gets better with Thread

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Eve Energy review with Thread

Eve Home, the HomeKit exclusive smart home accessory maker, has been on a roll recently updating its existing product line up with Thread support. The company has also been releasing new products with the Eve Weather and now it’s the turn of the Eve Energy getting the Thread treatment.

The 3rd Generation Eve energy smart plug keeps with the previous design and also features energy monitoring found in previous generations and Thread wireless connectivity.

While this is a review of the UK version of the Eve Energy. This review is also valid for the US and EU versions. As other than the design differences and socket types, the features are the same. It is also worth pointing out that Thread support is only valid on the following models:

  • UK 3rd generation Eve Energy with model numbers: 10EBT8601 and 20EBT8601
  • US & Canada 4th generation Eve Energy with model numbers: 10EBU4101 and 20EBU4101
  • Europe 4th generation Eve Energy with model numbers: 10EBO8301 and 20EBO8301

So continue reading our Eve Energy Review to see if this is the right Thread smart plug for you.

Eve Energy smart plug Key Features

  • Review Price: UK £39.99 US $39.99 and EU €39.99
  • Track your energy usage by cost and watts.
  • Connects via Low energy Bluetooth and Thread
  • No additional hub required for use with HomeKit
  • HomeKit hub required for remote access
  • HomePod Mini required for Thread support

Eve Energy smart plug review – Design

As already mentioned, the design of the Eve Energy does not differ from the previous generations. The smart switch is relatively large and comes in gloss white finish that feels premium and solid to the touch.Eve Energy design

On the back of the Eve Energy you will find the standard UK 3 prongs. On the top you have a button that can turn the device on and off. This also glows green or red to show the user the current power state.Eve Energy smart plug

As with the previous generations and the Eve Home smart home range, the design of the Eve Energy feels premium, robust and solid.

Eve Energy review – Setup

To set up the Eve Energy smart plug, you need to download the Eve App from the iOS app store. You then plug the Eve Energy into the wall socket, wait for the power indicator to go green and then navigate to settings, then tap add accessory. This will bring up the HomeKit setup steps, which involves scanning the HomeKit code on the bottom of the device and following the rest of the process.Eve Energy HomeKit setup

Setup as with all the Eve smart home range for HomeKit is straightforward. I also like Eve has integrated with the popular HomePass app so you can back up your HomeKit accessories and codes.

Day-to-day use and Eve app

The Eve Energy can be controlled from Eve’s own, Home App or a button on top of the device. But its the Eve Home App that you get the most of the HomeKit smart plug.

The Eve app is pretty well laid-out, and at its simplest level you can turn the smart plug on and off. But taping on the accessory tile and this will open up more options. In this detailed look you can get options like power on and off, schedule and energy monitoring. Lets dig a little deeper into the more advanced options, like scheduling and energy monitoring.Eve App Energy

Schedule

The first option allows you to schedule the smart plug to turn on and off at certain times or even days. You can have up to 7 different programs and these run on the Eve Energy itself. Meaning it does not rely on your iPhone, Home hub or internet connection to work.

Consumption

For the consumption calculations, it is the current power consumption based on the current state of the appliance that is plugged in.

Projected cost

You can get projection costs based on week, day, or minute usage. I found this really useful to give me a year’s cost protection based on my usage. It was interesting to look to see that my coffee machine could cost £7 per year to run based on current usage.

Total consumption

Th total consumption is based on since you had the device plugged in. You can also view detailed graphs to look at an hour, day, week, month and month. Clicking the “i” icon will also show you far more detail, and you can even dig into the individual measurements and export them. You also have the option to reset the consumption, and this will be useful if you are going to be using this with a new device.

Total Cost

Just like the total consumption total cost, you can view an hour, day, week, month and month. Clicking the “i” icon will also show you far more detail, and you can even dig into the individual measurements and export them.

One thing to point out, to get accurate energy readings, you need to ensure that you set the electricity rate you pay. So you will need to get your cost per KhW from your energy bill and then enter that under settings, energy costs.

Data privacy

The Eve Energy can store up to 3 weeks’ data. So this gives you ample time to download device data which is all encrypted and only transferred directly between the device and iPhone, iPad or home hub. Eve does not harvest your personal data by forcing you to set up an account or registering your accessories. This means that your data all stays local and never transmitted to the cloud. If you want to export your data for further analysis, you can do so via the Eve app into Excel.

Thread is the future

As I have mentioned in previous reviews of Eve devices, I have been using Bluetooth-connected Eve products for several years now inside the home and not come across issues with range or response.

That is not me saying that issues don’t exist with Bluetooth devices, I have just not come across them. But this depends on several factors like placement of the device, which includes distance, walls in the home and other wireless signals.Eve Energy HomePod mini Thread

But with the introduction of Thread to HomeKit, which promises to improve range and performance when used with a HomePod Mini.

Let me first explain the different devices that can make up a Thread wireless network.

  • First you have devices that can act as a border router, currently only the HomePod Mini can do this in HomeKit. This device bridges your Thread network with your Home network. You need at least one border router to take advantage of the Thread capabilities with the Eve Energy.
  • The second type is a Thread Router that can pass information to other Thread devices and expand the Thread mesh network. The Eve Energy can act as a border router due to it being a device that is powered by your house’s electrical supply.
  • The last type is Thread endpoint that can connect to your mesh Thread network but cannot expand the mesh further.Eve Thread
Must read  Wemo Stage Scene Controller Review - Now usable with Thread

Thread router support

So using a HomePod mini with the Eve Energy, you can take advantage of Thread. Which means if you have previously struggled with the Bluetooth only version. Then the latest generation with Thread support could help with that.

But that is not the only benefit because the Eve Energy can play the role as a Thread router in your network. Which means the Eve Energy will help expand your Thread network, meaning if you have an Eve Weather or Eve Aqua outside your home, that may struggle with connectivity. Then placing the Eve Energy in your home with either of these devices could help with range.

During my testing, I have found by adding the Eve Energy in my Thread network. I have been able to place devices like the Eve Weather and Eve Aqua in places in my home that I could not do so before. Placing the Eve Energy in my garage, which is outside my home and struggles with Bluetooth range. I didn’t find any issues with connectivity or no response.

Eve Energy and HomeKit

HomeKit support on the Eve Energy is seamless, meaning you can control the device via the Home App that ships with iOS devices. Within the Home app, you can control the Eve Energy via the tile to turn it off and on. You can also jump into the settings and assign icons to match your plug type. But you can take a step further and if its attached to a light or fan, then you can assign this device type. This then changes the appearance in the Home app and gives you more options.Eve Energy HomeKit

Using the Eve Energy with HomeKit means you can include the smart switch in scenes and automation. So, for example, I had the Eve Energy connected to my coffee machine. So at night I included it in my goodnight automation and it would turn the coffee machine off to reduce standby power consumption.

I have also used the previous generation Eve Energys with devices like TV’s and lights to turn them off. I found using it with a TV would again help with reducing standby power reduction.

Eve Energy can also be included in automation’s that can be triggered via another HomeKit device. I tested this with a Philips Hue motion sensor and a lamp plugged into the Eve Energy, and the response was fast. I also used the Eve Energy with an Ikea Air purifier and Eve Room and this also worked well via the automations.Eve Energy HomeKit Automations

So by using HomeKit, you can integrate the Eve Energy into your smart home setup in a variety of ways. You can use it as a smart plug and simply turn it off and on, but you can also pair it with devices like the Philips Hue dimmer or motion sensors. Then take things one step further and include the smart plug in automations and scenes.

Finally, the Eve Energy does not need an additional hub to use the device which is a benefit. However, to control the Eve outside of the Home you need a HomeKit hub like an Apple TV, HomePod or an iPad.

Eve Energy review verdict

Eve has produced a smart plug is well-designed and easy to set up. Whilst you can use the Home app on an iOS device. You will get more out of it with the Eve app, which will show things like power usage and other things cost to run an appliance.

I like the fact I can see my energy usage for a device and dig deep into the data. Plus, you can run automatic schedules independent of HomeKit and all locally on the device.

The other benefit with this smart plug is Thread wireless, but not only that, it can act as a Thread router. So if you have Thread end point devices that are outside the home or struggled with Bluetooth in the past, then this could be a good option.

Should I buy the Eve Energy?

Using the Eve Energy to complete this review, the smart plug has been an excellent addition to my home. Although comparing it to the Meross smart plug, it is on the expensive side. But it would be unfair to compare the two products. The reason being, and I am sure Meross would agree with this, the smart plug they offer is a on the budget end of the scale. Whereas the Eve Energy is a premium product, with a premium feature set.Eve Energy review with Thread

But let me be clear, this is not me saying one is better than the other based on price or features. The reason being is that each person has their own individual requirements and budget. But hopefully reading these reviews can help you in that decision process.

The bottom line, the Eve Energy, is a solid well made product with energy monitoring back up by the popular Eve app. So if you’re concerned about power-hungry electrical devices, then this could be an option for your HomeKit setup.

You can buy the Eve Energy via this via the Amazon links below. Please also remember to make sure you buy the correct generation if you want Thread support.

  • UK 3rd generation Eve Energy with model numbers: 10EBT8601 and 20EBT8601 – UK £39.99
  • US & Canada 4th generation Eve Energy with model numbers: 10EBU4101 and 20EBU4101 – $39.99
  • Europe 4th generation Eve Energy with model numbers: 10EBO8301 and 20EBO8301 – EU €39.99

So that’s a wrap on the Eve Energy review, Don’t forget to subscribe for more HomeKit and smart home reviews. If you have a question or a comment, then leave it below. You can also follow us on TwitterFacebookYouTube and Instagram.

Eve Energy review with Thread
Eve Energy Review 2021 – HomeKit smart plug gets better with Thread
Review Summary
The bottom line, the Eve Energy is a solid well made procuct with  energy monotring back up by the popular Eve app.  So if you’re concerned about power-hungry electrical devices , then this could be an option for your HomeKit setup.
Pro's
Thread router Support
HomeKit without a hub
Energy monitoring
Con's
Bulky
87
Recommended

3 COMMENTS

  1. It seems that the current power consumption is not available in HomeKit for display or automations which is one of the main features of this device. Worse still although displayed and logged in the eve app the value is not available for automations like > or < ! So if you want to know when the washing machine is finished or something is turned on you can't do that with this device in an automation.

    Seems a major feature omission and makes the energy reporting pretty useless.

  2. You never had issue with response from eve Bluetooth products? Did you ever use eve button? I had 2 and they were 2 feet away from what they controlled and they’d go no response all the time…. I stupidly replaced them with wemo stage scene controllers which are even worse and still don’t have thread

  3. I would be concerned about getting any more Eve products. I had one blow up on me and after some research, it would appear that several others have had the same experience. I was shocked to find that after reaching out to Eve customer supported they could not care less, and did not want to investigate or receive the device back. It’s a bit scary as it could have had dangerous consequences.
    If you are happy to take the risk, then the energy monitoring is really useful and hopefully they have sorted the bugs as although it supports Thread, and I had a HomePod mini in the same room, I did have to power cycle it a few times over 6 months as it would loose connectivity.
    I did find I could use the extended power usage data in automations, but it’s probably beyond casual users as it required the use of shortcuts and some fiddly logic.

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