Automate Holiday Lights with Smart Plugs and Timers

The Problem

You climb outside to plug in lights every evening and forget to turn them off, wasting electricity.

The Hack

Plug holiday lights into an outdoor-rated smart plug ($15). Set schedule: on at sunset, off at 11 PM. Done for the entire season.

Why It Works

Outdoor smart plugs are weatherproof and schedulable. 'Sunset' triggers automatically adjust as days get shorter — no manual time changes needed.

Pro Tips

• Get a weatherproof outdoor smart plug for exterior lights
• Sunset/sunrise triggers adjust automatically — set once for the season
• Can also be controlled by voice: 'Alexa, turn on Christmas lights'
• Saves electricity by not leaving lights on all night