rel="sponsored nofollow"), we may earn a small affiliate commission from Amazon UK at no extra cost to you. See our Affiliate Disclosure and BS 1363 Testing Methodology.Pairing a UK smart plug with Amazon Alexa takes less than two minutes once you know whether your plug uses Matter local commissioning (like the TP-Link Tapo P110M) or a standard Alexa Skill (like the Tapo P110). Below is the complete walkthrough, including how to group lamps properly and create sunset routines adjusted for British Summer Time (BST) and GMT.
At-a-Glance UK Specification & Price Comparison
All models below feature a native UK Type G three-pin plug or socket conforming to BS 1363 (230V–240V AC, 50Hz) and have been evaluated for British double wallplate clearance, standby wattage, and local network reliability:
| Setup Step | Matter Smart Plug (e.g. Tapo P110M / Eve) | Standard Wi-Fi Plug (e.g. Tapo P110) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Plug In & Pairing Mode | Insert into UK wall socket; LED blinks amber/green or blue | Insert into UK wall socket; hold power button 5s until LED blinks |
| 2. Initial Commissioning | Open Alexa App → Devices → + → Add Device → Matter → Scan QR | Add in Tapo App first → Link Tapo Skill in Alexa App |
| 3. Device Type Tip | Set Type = Light (for lamps) or Plug (for appliances) | Set Type = Light (for lamps) or Plug (for appliances) |
| Recommended Hardware | Tapo P110M — £11.99 (Amazon UK) | Tapo P110 — £8.99 (Amazon UK) |
1. Step-by-Step: Connecting Your UK Smart Plug to Amazon Alexa
First, ensure your phone is connected to your home Wi-Fi network. Insert the smart plug into a switched BS 1363 wall socket and flick the physical wall rocker switch to the ON position. Within 10 seconds, the status LED on the side of the plug will alternate amber and green (or blue/red on Meross) to indicate readiness.
Changing Device Type from "Plug" to "Light" for Floor Lamps
In the Alexa app, tap your newly discovered smart plug, tap the gear icon in the top-right corner, and change Type from “Plug” to “Light”. Assigning it to your Living Room group now lets you say “Alexa, turn off the lights” without remembering specific plug names.
How We Test (UK BS 1363 Workbench Protocol)
Our evaluation protocol is specifically designed around British domestic electrical standards rather than generic international spec sheets:
- Twin Wall Socket Clearance (BS 1363-2): We fit each plug into a standard UK MK Logic Plus and BG Nexus double switched wall socket to verify that a casing width of 52–57 mm leaves the adjacent socket and individual rocker switches completely unobstructed.
- True-RMS Standby & Relay Wattage: Using a calibrated 230V/50Hz inline wattmeter (0.1W resolution), we log 24-hour parasitic power consumption both with the relay open (Wi-Fi/Thread listening) and with the relay closed (energised coil + status LED).
- Thermal Pin & Load Verification: While a BS 1363 fuse is rated to 13A (2,990W at 230V), we monitor brass pin temperature after 60 minutes under sustained 2,200W resistive load and verify over-current auto-shutoff behaviour in the companion firmware.
- UK ISP Router & Offline Timer Resilience: We test 2.4 GHz onboarding on merged SSIDs (BT Smart Hub 2, Sky Max Hub, Virgin Media Hub 5) and disconnect the WAN fibre cable to confirm whether scheduled timers and local Matter/Thread automations still execute on time.
Worked first time with my Echo Dot and Tapo P110! Setting the sunset routine with a 15-minute offset before sunset is so handy in October when the clocks change.
Glad to hear it Claire! Using Alexa’s astronomical Sunset trigger rather than a fixed clock time saves having to adjust timers manually between GMT and BST.